A wildlife charity in Hampshire is urging dog owners to keep their pets on leads during the ground-nesting bird season.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Dogs Trust have asked owners to do their bit to protect ground-nesting birds by keeping their pets on leads during the breeding season.

This is to ensure that ground-nesting birds such as skylarks, lapwings, and nightingales are not harmed during the breeding season.

The UK lapwing population has plummeted by 55% since 1967. 

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Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve near Totton, Southampton, provides a crucial sanctuary for these ground-nesting birds, but the Trust says the future for lapwings there remains uncertain.

Karen Kingston, visitor engagement manager at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: "As a nation of dog lovers, we all want to enjoy the great outdoors with our furry companions.

"But we must also remember that we share these spaces with wildlife that depends on them for survival.

"By keeping dogs on leads during the ground-nesting bird season, we can help protect vulnerable birds and other species."