A UNIQUE wetland in the heart of Swindon is in danger of drying out.

Rushey Platt, a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve, is suffering after a series of dry winters.

Neil Pullen, the trust's Swindon Wildlife project officer, said: "Sadly it's rare to see even one or two snipe on the site at one time, whereas in the past we used to get eight or more. And we certainly don't get the numbers of water voles we used to."

He added: "A recent consultant's report has made a number of recommendations, which would help to rectify the situation. Or perhaps we need to manage the site differently in the future, as a wildflower meadow rather than a fenland. But we would be losing a wonderful and increasingly rare habitat if it came to that."