Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society are uniting for the spring campaign 'Making Friends with Molluscs'.

The campaign aims to support snails and slugs in the region's gardens, and to challenge their reputation as a gardener's enemy.

Only a small proportion of the UK's 150 species of slugs and snails are problematic for gardeners, while most are advantageous.

Duncan Hutt, director of conservation at Northumberland Wildlife Trust said: "Snails and slugs play such an important role in consuming dead plants, animals and fungi, recycling nutrients back into the soil and creating nutritious compost."

They assist in the cleaning up process in gardens and greenhouses, benefitting the environment by breaking down and recycling plant and animal matter.

A part of the UK wildlife’s diet, including ground beetles, frogs, song thrushes, and hedgehogs, relies on snails and slugs.

To live harmoniously with these creatures, the campaign suggests methods including providing shelter, selective planting, creating barriers, handpicking and monitoring, and encouraging predators.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is all set to celebrate slugs and snails at its Gardening for Wildlife Morning on Wednesday, April 10.

The free event will take place at St Nicholas Park nature reserve in the grounds of St Nicholas Hospital in Gosforth from 10.30am-12pm.