Endangered red squirrel populations have plummeted from about 3.5 million to less than 300,000 in the UK, with their grey-haired rivals continuing to thrive.

But when exactly did the squirrel stand-off begin and how bad has the situation become?

In England, the situation is particularly dire for reds.

The Woodland Trust reckons there are only 39,000 of them left, while the Save Our Reds campaign thinks just 15,000 remain, including in conservation areas such as Formby on Merseyside.