Turned on toads travelling in style

TOAD patrollers near Kiln Green church in Diggle. Left to to right: Nick Cox, John Newman and Lynn Newman

SPRING has sprung and amphibian ardour is in the air.

But as they say, the road to true love never runs smooth, and sadly for love-struck toads in Diggle it's also a very perilous one.

In fact many a toad has croaked trying to get to the other side of Ward Lane, in Kiln Green, as they head to the pond for the spawning season.

Luckily Toad Patrol - manned by local volunteers and led by John and Lynn Newman - is about to leap into action.

Around 200 toads travel from far and wide to make the annual trip to their old jumping ground where they were born.

Unfortunately, they weren't designed for speed - and crossing the road is not only fraught with danger but also a rather slow process.

Toad Patrol, armed with torches and buckets, scoops up the amorous amphibians and carries them to safety.

Nick Cox, who has been helping out for five years, said: "Around this time of year the toads start to emerge from hibernation and make their way to the pond. So far we've moved around 40 toads but when it's really busy we can move 40 in one evening.

"We just try to prevent as many casualties as possible.

"They can travel quite a way to get there, and with habitats for toads decreasing and frog and toad numbers relatively under threat we do not want to lose any more, so we do what we can."