THE rare breed of Cotswold sheep will benefit from a £425,000 grant to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's Regeneration Appeal.

The future of 28 rare breeds of sheep will be secured by the systematic collection and storage of semen.

Among them are the Cotswold Lions whose wool created most of the wealth in the area during the Middle Ages, but which has suffered in recent decades from the collapse of the quality wool market as man made fibres predominate.

By maintaining a long-term store of semen, breeds are protected against disaster, and in addition future generations can return to the stock if the genetic base becomes too narrow.

Rosemary Mansbridge, RBST chief executive, said: "The grant from the Tubney Charitable Trust is magnificent news for the rare breeds.

"We can build up protection for our precious sheep breeds which will make them better able to withstand threats that may face them in the future."

Collection of semen will start in July with 55 per cent going into long term storage, 30 per cent into developing conservation breeding programmes and 15 per cent given to the owners of donor rams.

Some of the money will be spent on the development of a unique, dedicated library and archive on rare breeds. Overall, the Trust looks after the conservation of 73 breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, equines and poultry native to the British Isles.