MORE than 75 new bat boxes have been installed around Warminster following a bat box-making day last month.

Enthusiastic families came along to the Park Bandstand in the Lake Recreation Ground to make their own free box to put up in gardens and encourage bats to roost.

The event on Sunday, August 25 was aimed at making up to 85 bat boxes to put around the town. It was run by the Sustainable Warminster community group, supported by a grant from the Warminster Area Board.

Harriet James, of Sustainable Warminster, said: "The wood for the boxes was cedar which came from the Stourhead estate. We have ordered more wood for another event."

Earlier this year, Sustainable Warminster held a night bat walk and a bat costume competition.

The competition winner was Caiden Mhunduru who came along to receive his prize of a ready-made bat box and to make another one for his school.

Mrs James added: "There are at least 12 species of bat living in the Warminster area. A rare Bechstein’s bat was found for the first time a couple of weeks ago during a bat survey commissioned by Sustainable Warminster."

Members of the Wiltshire Bat Group are licensed to trap the bats and ring some of the rarer ones.

They also identify bats flying past by recording and analysing their ultrasonic calls. Each species has a different call.