WORKING horses were brought in this week to save the snakes at a Wyre Forest nature reserve.

Rangers brought on the horsepower to help them remove scrub and young birch woodland to stop it taking over the natural habitat at Habberley Valley Nature Reserve.

They have taken the traditional route and avoided tractors to limit the risk of damaging the area and crushing the burrows where the adders live.

"Adders are Britain's only poisonous snake. Their venom is about as harmful as a bee sting," said Wyre Forest District Council countryside ranger Adam Hamilton.

"They're becoming increasingly scarce across the country. There are very few left in Wyre Forest but we know there's a small population in this area and we want to protect them.

"Tractors go over the same ground and are likely to crush the old rabbit burrows where the snakes live. Hopefully, the horses won't tread on the same ground so much."

He also hopes damage will be kept to a minimum on the valley's rare lowland heath during the project, which has a license to run for four years. Work can only be carried out at certain times - from now until the end of March when it has to stop because of birds nesting and then again in the autumn.

Power tools will be used to cut down around 100 tons of trees, which will be taken away by Doug Joiner, of the Heavy Horse Association based in Ledbury, who is using three of his horses. The brush from the tree tops will be recycled to make horse jumps.

"People don't like to see trees cut down but when we have done work like this before, at Rifle Range and Burlish Top, they have been happy with the end result because it's safer and more accessible," Mr Hamilton said.

The horses have been specially trained to drag felled trees and they can be seen in action tomorrow from 11am at Habberley Valley Car Park. An open day is being held where there's a chance to meet the horses.