A conservation group has been out at night helping amphibians safely cross a busy road near Farnham as the annual toad watch returns.

This year, volunteers from Wrecclesham Conservation Group and Bourne Conservation group have broken last years total rescuing 716 toads, two frogs, and four newts - including 125 toads in one night - cross Boundary Road, Rowledge to their ancestral breeding pond.

The group broke the record on the eve of Friday, March 21 with mild wet wetter creating a flurry of crossing. In just one evening six volunteers broke the record by saving 164 male toads and 25 female toads as well as rescuing other amphibians bringing the total number to 716.

The group’s efforts have involved people of all ages, including children as young as four, who had to be persuaded to go to bed after the activity ran late into the night.

The group’s work is vitally important as it’s estimated that at least 250,000 toads are killed on roads each year in the UK during their migration to breeding ponds. This has resulted in a 60 percent annual decline in their population.

Myung Hye Chun, founder of the Wrecclesham Conservation Group, said: “It is such a privilege to witness great toad migrations on our roads. We must look after our wildlife and pay attention to our surrounding so we don’t lose these little and vulnerable creature in the future.

“I would like to thank our fantastic volunteers and the Bourne Conservation Group volunteers for their hard work every night. We are lucky to have such a beautiful habitat in our community and to witness this incredible toad migration.”

Resident Kate Larmer surprised the group by putting up signposts on Boundary Road to warn drivers to slow down for both the toads and the patrols.

The signs will remain in place until the end of the toad migration season, when the amphibians are no longer crossing the roads to reach their breeding grounds.