Populations of UK’s most important wildlife have plummeted since 1970

Quarter of mammals and nearly half of birds assessed are at risk of extinction, says State of Nature report

Populations of the UK's most important wildlife have plummeted by an average of 60% since 1970, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date.

The State of Nature report also found that the area inhabited by officially designated "priority species" has shrunk by 27%. The species are those deemed most important and threatened, and include hedgehogs, hares and bats, many birds such as the willow tit and the turtle dove, and insects such as the high brown fritillary butterfly.