Damaged peat in climate risk

Damaged peatlands in Shropshire are leaking carbon into the atmosphere and accelerating climate change, experts warned today.

Across England, damaged or drained peatbogs are responsible for the equivalent of carbon emissions from more than 350,000 homes, a Natural England report has suggested.

But bosses at the Government's conservation agency today said work to repair and restore the third largest raised peat bog in Britain, near Whitchurch, was helping to reverse the trend.

Natural England today called for widespread restoration of degraded peatland through "re-wetting" dried-out bogs, and minimising damaging practices on the land.

Britain is looking to meet stiff targets for slashing carbon emissions.

The group warned some 580 million tonnes of carbon within the peatlands of England was slowly leaking back into the atmosphere.