A NEW scheme to help restore vanishing farmland wildlife has been launched in the region.

An area near Barnard Castle, County Durham, has been selected as an Entry Level Agri-environment pilot scheme.

Environment minister Michael Meacher launched the scheme yesterday with the full support of English Nature.

Advantages of the scheme are that it is open to all farmers and it will pay for wildlife-friendly practices already in place, as well as encouraging new environmental work.

Stuart Hedley, of English Nature, said: "This is our best chance yet to buy back farmland wildlife.

"We urge farmers to come to the launch meeting to find out more about the scheme, how it will benefit wildlife on their farms and what the financial rewards will be."

A roughly triangular area between Barnard Castle, Bowes and Middleton-in-Teesdale has been selected as a pilot for upland areas.

English Nature is keen for farmers to take up scheme options such as the management of rushy fields which will safeguard and enhance ground-nesting birds such as lapwing, snipe and curlew.

These species have disappeared from most areas with the intensification of agriculture, but are still hanging on in the uplands.

Breeding lapwing have declined nationally by a fifth in the last ten years and redshank by a third.

The launch meeting in Teesdale will be held at the Morritt Arms Hotel, Greta Bridge, on Tuesday at 7pm.