A COLONY of newts has been given a helping hand.

Employees from Huddersfield engineering firm Cummins Turbo technologies have joined forces with Kirklees Council to help to create a brand new habitat for the great crested newt in Clayton West.

Volunteers from the engineering company were given time off from their normal activities to work hard in preparing and then digging a pond to make a new home for newts next to the Kirklees Light Railway, from Clayton West to Shelley.

Denby Dale countryside officer Andy Wickham, said: “We are very grateful for the help of the seven volunteers from Cummins Turbo on this project.

“The company has agreed to help us on numerous Streetscene conservation tasks on a number of important sites for wildlife and the local community.”

The team successfully completed the pond in a day and its aim is to extend the breeding range of the great crested newt which has received funding from the SITA Trust and the Kirklees Environment Unit.