Animal lovers built a special rope bridge to help red squirrels safety cross a busy road to reach a stash of hazelnuts.

Cramlington and District Red Squirrel Group erected a rope bridge high up in the air after it noticed dozens of the rare rodents were dying on the stretch each year.

They were being tempted across the tarmac to reach a crop of hazelnut trees on the other side.

Within days the clever creatures ditched the road in favour of the rope bridge, in Cramlington, Northumberland.

The local group's chairman, Leon Savage, 41, said: "The bridge has been a great idea - people were spotting squirrels making their way across within days of putting it up.

"It's fantastic we can protect the red squirrels from danger, and it's also great for community engagement.

"We get people sending us messages about it or sending dashcam footage of the squirrels crossing - it's great to see people supporting our work."

The idea came after the voluntary group decided to tackle the deaths of up to 20 red squirrels per year as they crossed the road between their home in Seghill Woods, and East Cramlington Nature Reserve.