Brook given special status to save rare crayfish

A stream which is home to one of West Yorkshire's last remaining populations of endangered white-clawed crayfish has been awarded protected status.

Luddenden Brook, at Jerusalem Farm nature reserve near Halifax, has been granted Local Wildlife Site Status, giving official protection both to the crayfish species and the brook.

The new classification means biosecurity measures will be increased at the site, including putting up educational boards and providing special boot cleaning stations to reduce transfer of crayfish plague from people's clothing and shoes.

White-clawed crayfish are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species that are considered endangered.

The UK's only native freshwater crayfish, they are under threat due to the spread of invasive North American signal crayfish.

Signal crayfish not only compete for the same food and habitat as white-clawed crayfish but also spread crayfish plague, a disease which is deadly to white-clawed crayfish.

Scott Patient, Calderdale Council's cabinet member for climate action said: "Jerusalem Farm is one of the few places in West Yorkshire where the white-clawed crayfish can currently be found and I'm delighted that the Luddenden Brook, which runs through the site, has been granted Local Wildlife Status.

"This official status allows us to better protect this important habitat and helps to raise awareness of the plight of the native crayfish."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.