Oxford News
Fears mount as butterflies beginning to disappear from UK
This is according to 50 years of data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS).
Since 1976, this world‑leading citizen science project has amassed more than 44 million records.
From this, they have created a detailed picture of how the UK’s butterflies are doing.
And it doesn’t spell good news, after volunteers completed 782,000 walks to count species at thousands of sites across the country over the past five decades.
As the scheme celebrates its 50th anniversary, conservationists warn they are locked in an “increasingly urgent battle” to protect the richness and diversity of Britain’s butterflies.
Of the 59 native species monitored, UKBMS figures show that 33 have declined in numbers and 25 have improved, though one mountain-dwelling species has insufficient data.
Species that can survive across different habitats have been better able to cope with changes to the landscape and climate, and some have even spread to new areas, the figures indicate.
For example, the Red Admiral used to be a summer visitor to the UK, but the species is now seen here year-round as the climate warms, with the dataset showing numbers have surged by 330% since 1976.
There have been some exceptions to this trend, such as the small tortoiseshell, which has declined by almost 90% in the last 50 years.
On the other hand, butterflies that live in a particular habitat, such as woodland glades or chalk downland, have struggled widely and many are fast declining.
The number of pearl-bordered fritillaries – a vibrant orange-and-black butterfly whose caterpillars only eat violets growing in sunny spots in woodland clearings or bracken-covered hillsides – has decreased by 70% since 1976.
just found out that butterflies can’t even see their own wings, and that got me thinking… most people don’t even recognize their true beauty & how much they’ve grown and evolved
— Wholesome Side of 𝕏 (@itsme_urstruly) April 3, 2026
And white-letter hairstreaks, which only lay their eggs on elm trees, have suffered huge declines over the decades after millions died from disease.
But intensive conservation efforts have helped some of these species buck the downward trend, including the silver-studded blue and the black hairstreak.
Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation, which is one of the organisations that runs the scheme, called the set of figures “damning”.
“Just as we have lost family-run shops and traditional skills from the nation’s high streets, so we’ve lost variety and diversity in the butterfly communities that can exist in our damaged and simplified landscapes,” he said.
“We have some remarkable species in this country, and we know what we need to do to help them – create more habitat.
“That is what Butterfly Conservation has been doing for more than 50 years, but we are fighting an increasingly urgent battle and we need more help.”
It comes after the organisation’s Big Butterfly Count, which asks members of the public to count species in their local green spaces during a period in the summer, yielded disappointing results last year.
This was despite hopes that the hot record summer conditions in which butterflies should thrive might have helped to offset decades of declining numbers.
In 2024, the wet spring and cool summer contributed to the lowest numbers spotted in the count’s 14-year history.
“Last year should have been amazing for butterflies, however, we were not treated to a bumper butterfly year – indeed over one-third of species had below average numbers,” Mr Fox said.
Would you be sad to see butterflies disappear from the UK? Let us know in the comments
Thames Valley Police has released a CCTV image of a man they are searching for in relation to money reportedly being fraudulently withdrawn in Oxfordshire, Ascot and London.
The force said that on May 20, the suspected offender obtained the bank card and PIN number of the victim, a woman in her 20s, which were being posted to her address.
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They then proceeded to withdraw thousands of pounds from the victim’s account over the next 12 days, before the woman became aware and blocked the card.
The money was withdrawn from cash machines at several locations, including NatWest, TSB and Nationwide branches in Witney, HSBC in Chiswick, Nationwide in Oxford, and cash machines at Tesco and Sainsbury’s in Ascot.
This was between 20 May and 1 June 2026.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable David Mathieson, said: “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity at the cash machines between the dates we are investigating, or has information that may assist us to please get in touch.
READ MORE: Drug and car seized from ‘illegal’ Kia motorist in Oxfordshire town
“If you recognise the man in the image, or if this is you, please contact us.
“Anyone with information should call 101 or make an online report, via our website, quoting crime reference number 43260273378.
“If you don’t want to speak directly with police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
“If you suspect your card or account has been compromised, contact your bank immediately.”
Comedian David Mitchell stars as John “Ludwig” Taylor, a reclusive puzzle designer who assumes the identity of his twin brother – a detective chief inspector – after he goes missing.
The hit series also features Motherland’s Anna Maxwell Martin, with Fleabag star Sian Clifford and Scottish actor Mark Bonnar joining the cast as regulars in the second series which is due to be broadcast in August, with a third series already commissioned.
READ MORE: Ludwig creator reveals secret of series success
The detective drama set in Cambridge is one of the BBC’s most successful in terms of viewing figures for many years.
Mr Mitchell has strong Oxfordshire connections – he grew up in Oxford where he enjoyed watching Inspector Morse on ITV, and was a pupil at Abingdon School.
The BBC has confirmed that Ludwig will return for its second series later this month, with all six episodes to be released as a box set on iPlayer from the same date.
The newly confirmed release date is Thursday, August 20 at 9pm on BBC One, confirming what the BBC had previously teased only as an August 2026 return.
Perhaps an added bonus for fans is that, rather than waiting week by week, they will be able to binge the entire box set on iPlayer as soon as the opening episode airs.
David Mitchell returns in his role as John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, now working officially as a Crime Scene Consultant for the Cambridge Police Authority, teaming up with DCI Russell Carter on seemingly “impossible” crimes.
No longer masquerading as James, he is “more Ludwig than ever”, brilliant at puzzles but hopeless at almost everything else – the fate of his brother, though, still eludes him.
Returning alongside Mitchell are Anna Maxwell Martin as Lucy Betts-Taylor, Dipo Ola as DI Russell Carter, Dorothy Atkinson as DCS Carol Shaw, Ralph Ineson as Chief Constable Ziegler, Karl Pilkington as DI Matt Neville and Dylan Hughes as Henry Betts-Taylor.
The new series also introduces new faces, including Mark Bonnar (Guilt, Line of Duty) as newspaper editor Gareth Fisher and Sian Clifford (Fleabag) as local MP Joanne Kemper.
Ben Ashenden and Rumi Sutton co-star as DC Ethan Cole and DC Caitlin Sullivan respectively.
The BBC will be hoping to repeat the runaway success of the first series.
Ludwig launched in 2024 to strong reviews and sizeable audiences, drawing more than 9.5 million viewers and ranking among the BBC’s biggest scripted hits of the year, according to the Radio Times.
It also earned a 97 per cent score on reviews site Rotten Tomatoes, cementing its reputation as a quirky detective drama with puzzles at the heart of the plot.
Mark Brotherhood is the series creator.
The UK charity, which has more than 500 stores nationwide, launched the pilot in early August, making it the first time a national UK charity had offered clothing rental alongside its retail shops.
Customers can hire selected donated garments for 14 days, with prices starting at £22.
The launch collection features vintage items, including a Balenciaga dress, a Stella McCartney jacket, and a Dolce & Gabbana dress.
Oxfam launches new rental service for clothes in first for sector
Julie Tyrell, head of ecommerce and retail sustainability at Oxfam, said: “We see pieces come through our shops that you simply won’t find anywhere else, and until now the only way to own one was to buy it outright.
“Rental means people can access that wardrobe for the moment they need it and then not let it sit in a cupboard afterwards.”
The clothing is cleaned and prepared before being sent to customers, who return it at the end of the rental period for reuse.
Oxfam developed the service with fashion rental and fulfilment company ACS, which is providing its operational infrastructure.
Anthony Burns, chief operating officer at ACS, said the partnership showed how circular retail models could deliver environmental and social benefits.
Income generated by the service will support Oxfam’s charitable work.
The pilot launched ahead of Oxfam’s annual Second-Hand September campaign, which encourages people to buy pre-owned clothing instead of new items.
UK charities closing stores
In other news for the charity sector, others are closing sites across the country.
Cancer Research UK is in the process of shutting stores as it works to reduce the size its our core high street chain to around 320 high-performing shops.
It revealed previously that it would be closing around 90 shops by May this year, with up to 100 more by April 2027.
Its online marketplace shut down earlier this year, and the charity is now shifting focus toward 12 new out-of-town superstores.
Meanwhile, the British Heart Foundation announced plans to close 150 of its charity shops across the UK, representing nearly a quarter of its 640 total locations.
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The closures will happen over a two-year period due to rising operating costs and a drop in net profits.
Around 90 shops are scheduled to shut down by the end of March 2027, with the first 87 specific branch locations already publicly identified.
The remaining targeted stores will close by March 2028.
Do you shop at local charity shops? If so, what is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.
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