NATURE

Squirrels chew a big hole in UK plan to plant 1.5bn trees

Grey squirrels are more destructive as they have bigger teeth than reds
Grey squirrels are more destructive as they have bigger teeth than reds
IMAGEPLOTTER/ALAMY

Grey squirrels are already pariahs of the British countryside, classed as an invasive species and blamed for spreading disease among native reds.

Now they are forecast to ruin government plans to plant 1.5 billion trees by 2050. Wildlife groups predict that grey squirrels will be responsible for killing 225 million of those trees by stripping bark. Grey squirrels generally kill 15 per cent of trees, while red squirrels are less destructive because of their smaller teeth and lower population densities.

The UK Squirrel Accord, an umbrella organisation of 41 woodland, timber and conservation organisations established by the Prince of Wales, said that the government should go further in its attempts to eradicate the 2.7 million grey squirrels that have bred in Britain since they were