Wildlife experts have introduced a rare breed of pony to an idyllic site in a Chorley village.

Welsh Mountain ponies have been brought to a field in Croston near the Old Clay 'Ole pond by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

It is hoped that by grazing on the land they will help protect the wide array of rare wild plants which grow at the site.

Jane Ashley, from the trust, said: "We have seen a reduction in some of the rare plant species in the area and the only way to bring them back is to graze the land.

"We are bringing in six of the ponies, which are sturdy and suited to this kind of environment.

"This will also encourage a wide range of butterflies and insects to inhabit the area."

The site is on the Bretherton side of Croston, just north of where the Wymott Brook meets the River Lostock.

The history of the Welsh Mountain pony goes back to the time of Julius Caesar, whose Roman troops, crossed the mountain pony mares with Arab stallions.

In the 1500s, because of their remote location in the Welsh highlands, they managed to survive an edict by Henry VIII to condemn all small ponies to death.

These days all efforts are made to keep the animals safe and comfortable. Fencing has been erected and a source of fresh water installed on the site for them.

The new residents have already become a big hit with anglers who fish the Old Clay 'Ole pond which coincidentally contains the world's only resident population of the rare Jenning's Proboscis worm.