A 25 year battle to secure protected status for a large expanse of East Lancashire's moorlands has been won.

Bosses at Natural England have confirmed the West Pennine Moors, stretching from Blackburn and Darwen down to Ramsbottom, is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The Lancashire Telegraph revealed earlier this year how the moors, home to merlin, curlew and snipe, and blanket bogs, was close to being officially recognised as a nature haven.

Lapwings and redshanks nest in the area and there are large breeding colonies of both black-headed and Mediterranean gulls within the area, which also takes in parts of Chorley and Haslingden.

Wildlife campaigner Mark Avery said the designation was a 'cause for celebration' after previously highlighting the long delays in securing the designation for the moors.

In April 2015 he accused Natural England of 'forgetting' the West Pennines, which was initially surveyed by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1991, and passed over by its successor English Nature, before the current review process began.

James Cross, Natural England's chief executive, said: "This is a significant moment for the protection of wildlife across a wild and beautiful expanse of north-west England.

"Our upland landscapes provide vital wildlife habitats and clean water, reduce flood risk and bring enjoyment and a sense of well-being to millions of people."

The announcement is a tonic for West Pennine Moors supporters, after a recent failed £2million Heritage Lottery Fund bid for Darwen, Turton and Peel Towers.

Under the designation, officials have recognised the 'dramatic backdrop to the surrounding towns and the wild, open spaces which have been enjoyed by generations of locals and visitors alike'.

Not only has the significance of the clean drinking water, coming down from the hills, been acknowledged but the role played by the landscape in preventing flooding in urban areas downstream.

Mike Burke, the conservation agency's Lancashire manager, said: "The West Pennine Moors are truly special and wholly warrant this SSSI status.

"It confers special legal protection and recognises the national scientific importance of its mosaic of upland habitats and populations of breeding birds.

"We will continue to work with all farmers, landowners and conservation groups across the area over the coming weeks and months to explain the importance of this designation and agree how we can work together to protect the area now and in the future."

Landowners who undertake 'traditional management activities' like cutting meadows for hay rather than silage, and encouraging sensitive grazing of grasslands, will continue to be supported, according to officials.

The South Pennine Moors, which surrounds parts of Burnley, Bacup, Pendle and Todmorden, was given SSSI status in September 1994.