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Red squirrels have returned to one of Britain's most stunning beauty spots after a 16-year absence

Red squirrels have returned to one of Britain's most stunning beauty spots after a 16-year absence.

Native reds have been almost wiped out in the country, except for a few pockets in the north of England, the Isle of Wight and Scotland after rival grey squirrels arrived from America in the 19th century.

Numbers of the reds, popularly illustrated in the Beatrix Potter Squirrel Nutkin books, have been rapidly dwindling thanks in large part to the squirrel pox virus carried by greys.

But now, red squirrels have been spotted in Windermere, in the picturesque Lake District.

Experts say a lack of habitats caused them to disappear from the area.

Since 1952, 95% of red squirrels have been wiped out in England and Wales.

But Bob Cartwright, of charity Westmorland Red Squirrels, said they are returning to woods in the area - and some have even been spotted in the town centre.

He said: 'So far this year there have been seven sightings, including just a few weeks ago a red seen bouncing around in Ellerthwaite Square right in the centre of Windermere.

'It is pretty clear that they are here in good numbers.'

Disease, habitat loss and competition for food from non-native grey squirrels have been blamed for the decline in reds.

Recent UK studies of 300 woodlands have also shown red squirrels are battling against the greys with numbers rising steadily.

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Experts say there have been a number of sightings of red squirrels in Windermere, in the picturesque Lake District (pictured)

Scientists think endangered red squirrels have finally achieved immunity to the killer pox carried by their grey rivals after 140 years.

Meanwhile Anglesey, North Wales, is now a grey squirrel-free zone, wildlife experts claim after a controversial 20-year eradication programme on the island.

Grey squirrels have been blamed for carrying diseases which have endangered the population of red squirrels.

More than 700 red squirrels are now thought to live on Anglesey, with many crossing the Menai Strait to settle in Bangor.

In 2013, academics found a red nicknamed 'Clark Kent', after Superman's alter ego, who was stricken with the deadly 'parapox virus' and managed to fight it off and live.

The research, carried out by the University of Liverpool, was heralded as a major breakthrough as it proved that reds can build immunity. 

Rachel Miller, Red Squirrel field officer at the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire and North Merseyside, said: 'It could be a few years down the line until we know for sure if red squirrels have any long-term immunity or not, as there is much more research that needs to be done. 

Experts say a lack of habitats caused them to disappear from the area. Pictured: view of Lake WIndermere

Endangered red squirrels in Northern England

'But this squirrel survived the pox, which is great news.

'We named him Clark, after Superman's 'Clark Kent', because he's a super squirrel. We don't know why he survived, but something made him resistant to the pox.

'We radio-tracked him after his release so we could check on his progress back in the wild and he did well.'

The species was almost wiped out at the Formby National Trust Reserve when there was a squirrel pox virus outbreak in 2008 and the population declined by over 80 per cent.

Numbers are now increasing with red squirrel sightings reported across the region.

RED SQUIRRELS: THE NATIVE SPECIES UNDER THREAT

Red squirrels have been almost wiped out, except for a few pockets in the north of England, the Isle of Wight and Scotland. File photo

The red squirrel has been a native of Britain for several thousand years, but the first grey squirrels were brought here from North America in 1876.

Over the years, more were introduced, notably by the Duke of Bedford to the park at Woburn Abbey where they thrived.

But contrary to popular belief that greys are 'driving out' the reds, experts believe it is because the greys being more adaptable to our ecosystem.

A major factor is the ability to survive tough winters due to the fact that greys generally carry more body fat - and a full-grown grey can weigh almost twice as much as a red.

Grey squirrels are also more adventurous and happier foraging on the ground, whereas red squirrels spend most of their lives high up in conifer trees and their diet is less varied.

Greys became known as 'vermin' in the 1920s and 1930s when their large numbers started to cause significant damage to commercial forestry and beech trees.

A law was passed in 1938 banning further importation of these creatures, and in following years various methods were tried without success to control grey squirrels.

This coincided with low red squirrel numbers after the red population was decimated between 1900 and 1920 by the parapox virus, similar to myxomatosis in rabbits.