Conservation groups say they are "thrilled" to have been given a grant of £1.2m to help them reintroduce pine martens to woodland in the south west of England.

Organisations involved in The Two Moors Pine Marten Project have received money from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Around 40 of the animals will be released over the next two years at selected locations on Exmoor and Dartmoor.

The rare creatures were once common across the UK until hunting and habitat loss drove them to the brink of extinction in England and Wales.

The cat-sized predators, a relative of stoats and otters, prefer well-wooded areas and largely feed on small rodents, birds, insects and fruit.

The project is being led by the charity Devon Wildlife Trust, which is working with organisations such as Exmoor National Park Authority and Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s conservation manager, Ed Parr Ferris said: "We are thrilled to have received this support."

He added: "The pine marten's role within a woodland eco-system is to create balance. They control the more abundant species and create opportunities for our rarer species to thrive."

The new pine martens are being sourced under license from existing healthy populations in Scotland.