Government wastes £2m of taxpayers' money on bat bridges which don't work, scientists say

A study by experts last year has revealed that the 15 bat bridges, which cost £2million to build across the UK from Cumbria to Cornwall, do not work to stop bats being killed by traffic on busy new roads.

The 'bat bridges' are wire structures, or gantries, which are designed to trick the bats into thinking that a tree is blocking their way and therefore causing the bats to fly higher above the traffic to safety.

The bats navigate using echo location and so the bridges were created to encourage the mammals to think there is a tree canopy in their way

However, scientists have revealed that the 15 'bat bridges' which were initially designed to help bats fly safely across roads, do not work.

Government and council chiefs nevertheless continued to build the bridges at a cost of more than £140,000 a time. Overall the structures have cost £2 million to the taxpayer.

Dr Anna Berthinussen, a bat ecologist, said: 'The evidence suggests that actually no, these structures are not effective, they're not meeting their purpose.'

The study, commissioned by the Government, focused on seven of the bridges which were built across the Norwich Northern Distributor Road.

The Norwich bridges cost around £1million to prevent disturbance to 'nationally significant' populations of Barbastelle bats which are the UK's rarest species.

Dr William Sutherland, at the National Conservation Evidence Database at Cambridge University, said: 'Wire bat bridges, or gantries, have been created in many locations costing about £2million. Before and after tests showed they were ineffective.'