Norfolk Broads are wildlife hot spot for rare species

Britain's largest area of wetland is a haven for wildlife that shelters a quarter of Britain's rarest species, a new study of the Norfolk Broads has revealed.

The research, which was commissioned by the Broad's Authority, identified nearly 11,000 species in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, which covers an area of 322 square miles and accounts for just 0.4% of the UK.

The biological "stock-take", carried out by the University of East Anglia, showed that the Broads have 66 species unique to the area while they also boast another 31 species that are rarely seen elsewhere in Britain.

Among the species that are restricted to the area are the Broads Dolly Fly, the Slender Amber Snail and the Scarce Marsh neb, a rare type of moth.

The Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly, which is the symbol of the Broads Authority, and the Swallowtail Butterfly are among the better known species to be restricted to the area.

The study, however, also reveals that 67 species have become extinct in the past 23 years.

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