HOPE in fighting a speculative housing development in Winsford may have arrived in the form of several rare amphibians.

A family of young great crested newts have been uncovered in the back garden of property in Rilshaw Lane, near to where Gladman want to build 215 new houses.

Discovery of the threatened species has been known to disrupt planning applications due to strict UK and EU laws governing their protection.

They were found by Rilshaw Lane resident, Huw Jones, who recognised their distinctive appearance from a recent Springwatch episode.

“We moved into the house in January and have only recently been able to get going in the garden because of the excessive rain causing it to be saturated,” explained Huw.

“During the strong winds we had a few fence panels damage. On the evening of Monday April 28, I was finishing off a raised herb bed I'd started, which is next to where the damaged fence panels are.

“Once it was finished I began to clear the debris left from the fence, and upon lifting the wood I saw the newts.

“I was fairly sure what they were from watching Springwatch in the past and seeing another program featuring Ken Livingston who is a keen newt lover.”

Huw took some pictures of the newts and invited new neighbours to witness the discovery before covering them back up.

Huw added that the discovery illustrated what would be lost if Cheshire West and Chester councillors give the go-ahead to development.

“It just goes to show how rich with wildlife the area is, with other species like barn owls about too,” he said.

“There is a great importance in preserving it for Winsford and future generations, as it is one of the few areas left in Winsford that's untouched.”