There's a mouse on the loose... rare dormice released into woods!

More than 40 rare hazel dormice have been released into ancient woodland in Leicestershire.

The release was organised by People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) who hope it will boost efforts to bring the tiny mammals back to the county and prevent extinction.

Numbers of these dormice have declined by more than 70% across the UK since 2000.

They will now make their home in the Bradgate Park Trust estate, where 21 other hazel dormice were released last year.

Those previously released have bred, creating Leicestershire's only known population, the charity said.

Volunteers and rangers have been regularly checking the nest boxes at Bradgate Park, with 11 young recorded in August, and 15 in September.

Ian White, dormouse and training officer at PTES, said: "Hazel dormice have declined due to habitat loss, poor woodland and hedgerow management and climate change.

"These figures are extremely concerning, but over the past 30 years our reintroduction programme, alongside habitat restoration, sympathetic woodland management and monitoring, is giving this threatened species a real chance of recovery."

The dormice that are being released have been bred in captivity as part of the reintroduction programme, with most of this year's animals provided by Wildwood Trust.

The trust said it has had its most successful breeding season to date.

All animals have been given a full health check and quarantined for four weeks to ensure they are healthy and do not carry any disease, before being released in pairs into nest boxes.

They'll spend 10 days inside mesh enclosures with natural light and foliage to help them acclimatise to the wood, before being released to explore the woodland.