Adders and slowworms to gain extra protection under new system in England

Slowworms thrive in brownfield sites - often targeted for development

Adders and slowworms will be among animals given extra protection under plans by the government to streamline" the process for protecting nature-rich areas.

George Eustice, the environment secretary, said that he plans for brownfield and urban sites to be given greater protection as he scraps sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and special protected areas (SPAs), in order to replace them with a streamlined system.