No 10 blocks beaver release plan as officials view it as 'Tory legacy'

Exclusive: Natural England furious that years of work has been undone, with minister urged to push policy throughDowning Street has blocked plans to release wild beavers in England because officials view it as a "Tory legacy", the Guardian can reveal.Natural England, the government's nature watchdog, has drawn up a plan for reintroductions of the rodent, which until about 20 years ago had been extinct in Britain for 400 years, having been hunted for their fur, meat and scent oil. Beavers create useful habitats for wildlife and reduce flooding by breaking up waterways, slowing water flow, and creating still pools. Continue reading...