PUBLIC street lighting along part of Worcester's riverfront is to be dimmed to help a newly-discovered colony of rare bats.

The lesser horseshoe bats have been found roosting close to Worcester cathedral, where the regeneration of the Severn Way has recently seen the installation of new lighting.

Worcestershire County Council, after taking advice from experts, will now be turning off the lighting at certain times of the night to avoid disturbing the rare mammals.

Council ecologist Cody Levine said: "These bats are uniquely beautiful and provide a vital function in supporting our agricultural economy by removing vast numbers of crop pests. This is the only urban colony of the species I'm aware of."

He said the species has become extinct in the north Midlands and northern England within the last 50 years.

Mr Levine said: "To find them in the heart of Worcester is testament to the fantastic and high-quality natural environment we have here."

He said the bats are particularly sensitive to high-powered lighting and the new lights along Severn Way would have obstructed their night-time hunting.

So the council will be turning off a short section of lighting just outside the roost around sunset and sunrise, to allow the bats safe passage - but only during the summer months while the bats are awake.

To ensure public safety, railings will be installed along the riverside, with low-powered lighting to mark the corridor for pedestrians.

A new information board will provide details about the bats.

County council deputy leader Anthony Blagg said: "The council is proud of Worcestershire's natural environmental and keen to ensure that regeneration of the waterfront is compatible with maintaining our natural assets.

"The council has a legal and moral duty to consider protected species alongside its obligation to maintain a safe, well-lit and attractive public environment.

"These lesser horseshoe bats have likely used this roost for generations and we're pleased that this solution will help ensure that the bats will be here for the benefit of generations to come. This is a proud contribution towards Worcestershire's credentials for sustainable development."