Campaigners are concerned about the rising presence of grey squirrels in England’s last remaining strongholds of reds. An annual distribution survey of about 250 sites in woodlands and gardens across northern England shows that occupancy figures for red and grey squirrels are increasing – but they are rising more steeply for greys. The Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) group said red squirrels were found in 52% of sites this year, up from 50% in 2023. Grey squirrels were found in 69% of sites, up from 62% in 2023. In Northumberland, grey detection is about 25% higher than red detection. In Cumbria it is 17.3% higher. The RSNE said the “substantial” increase in grey presence was concerning. But it said the survey also showed red conservation efforts were succeeding. Ian Glendinning, the chair of the Northumberland branch of Northern Red Squirrels, said he was worried they were fighting a losing battle. “When you look at the data coming in from other places it’s fairly clear that grey squirrel numbers have rocketed this year and red squirrel numbers, at best, are static,” he said. When that happens, the places where greys are breeding in an uncontrolled way become saturated and they move outwards, he said. Glendinning said the effects of the climate crisis were helping to make the breeding season of grey squirrels longer. “I do feel we are fighting a losing battle, albeit slowly,” he said. “There are glimmers of light on the horizon with chemical interventions. But they are many years in the future and my fear is that, certainly in England and Wales, we will see local extinction before they come into being.” The RSNE monitoring survey reveals a mixed picture, with good results for red squirrels in certain areas. For example, in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, the highest red squirrel occupancy has been recorded since the monitoring programme began in 2012. Abbie McQueen, RSNE’s project officer, said: “The substantial increase in grey squirrel presence once again this year is concerning, however we are not disheartened and hope it can help build a case for further funding and support for red squirrels in areas that need it. “We can also confirm that red squirrel detection is remaining stable, indicating that they are retaining their range and all the conservation effort is successfully protecting our populations.” The red squirrel is a native species, which has been in the UK since the ice age. The larger, more robust grey squirrel was introduced as a curiosity to the UK by the Victorians about 150 years ago. The first verifiable record is the banker Thomas V Brocklehurst releasing a pair into Henbury Park, near Macclesfield, Cheshire, in 1876 after the family tired of them as pets. He brought them back from a business trip to the US. The releases continued and since then red numbers have declined dramatically while grey numbers have reached dizzying heights. The UK Squirrel Accord says there are thought to be at least 2.7 million grey squirrels in Britain “but this is thought to be an underestimate”. There are an estimated 287,000 red squirrels in Britain, down from 2.5 million 100 years ago. In England the red population is estimated at just 39,000. People in the UK often have an affection for red squirrels because of their childhood, whether Beatrix Potter’s Squirrel Nutkin or the Tufty Club. Grey squirrels, meanwhile, are number 85 in the top 100 of the “world’s worst invasive alien species” list.