Dedicated volunteers have been swabbing newts and frogs in a desperate search for signs of a killer fungus in Lincolnshire.

The county's common toads, common frogs, smooth newts and great crested newts are being tested for signs of the deadly chytrid.

Its spores have been responsible for the decline and extinction of amphibian species around the world.

David Attenborough takes a closer look at the disease in his programme Under The Skin, which focuses on the decline of Panama's Golden Frog.

But members of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have spent their spare time swabbing 180 amphibians at three different locations to check for the lethal disease.

Initial test results suggest the county's frog population has avoided the clutches of the fungus, but trust public relations officer Rachel Shaw said it was still a danger.

"Frogs, toads and newts have a very moist skin and if the fungus starts growing on their skin then they can't breathe and are extremely vulnerable," she said.

Ms Shaw said people should not move frog or toad spawn between ponds, to help prevent the disease from spreading."

The test sites in Lincolnshire included Gibraltar Point, near Skegness, Baumber and Stickford, near Horncastle.

Volunteers made two trips to each site and collected 30 amphibians each visit.

The fungus was found at sites in the North-West and Yorkshire and the nationwide project could continue to ensure the disease does not spread.

For more on this story see Monday's Echo.