BLUEBELLS could soon disappear.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust warns that this English spring spectacle could become extinct as only a fraction of ancient woodlands remain.

"Native British bluebells are under threat from woodland clearance for development and agriculture and the theft of bulbs," warns Hayley Holland, the trust's education officer.

Damage by people trampling over flowers, hybridisation with Spanish bluebells, climatic change and the spread of conifers cause further problems.

Paul Oldfield, nature conservation officer of Halton Council is helping Cheshire bluebell action group assess the survival rates of this endangered species.

He said: "Eleven different surveys have been undertaken, revealing four of the sites to have a very sparse covering of English bluebells and a strong hybrid influence."

You can help protect the bluebell, he said, by staying on footpaths instead of trampling over the flowers.

Always buy bulbs from reputable garden centres and report any sightings of vandals uprooting bluebells to the police.