Plans to set up a no-go zone for grey squirrels across the south of Scotland were today announced by a government minister.

Plans to set up a no-go zone for grey squirrels across the south of Scotland were today announced by a government minister.

The move is intended to protect Scotland's native red squirrel, and to halt the northward spread of a deadly virus.

Squirrelpox is carried by grey squirrels and does not harm them, but is deadly to red squirrels, condemning them to a lingering death by starvation over 15 days.

The latest move in the drive to protect red squirrels was announced by environment minister Mike Russell who warned it was "absolutely vital" to stop the spread of the virus.

He also insisted that humane destruction of grey squirrels was "absolutely necessary" for the success of the project.

"The red squirrel is one of our most beautiful and valuable native species and Scotland is one of the few sanctuaries it has left," he said during a visit to the Drumlanrig estate in Dumfries-shire.

"Since its arrival in the British Isles, the grey squirrel has gradually taken over with its more aggressive feeding habits, meaning that its red cousin is now endangered.

"To make matters worse, a new threat is heading north in the form of squirrelpox, lethal to the red squirrel and almost endemic in the grey population."

The project launched today aims to stop squirrelpox in its tracks and eventually enable the red squirrel to return to areas taken over by the grey.

"If squirrelpox moves further north it could be a disaster - the future of the red squirrel, therefore, depends on the success of the red squirrels in south Scotland project," said the minister.

The project involves private land owners working with the Scottish Government, wildlife and forestry agencies and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

It aims to identify land holdings to create a "grey squirrel control network" across the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and into south and east Ayrshire and south Lanarkshire.

It will also aim to identify the main entry points of grey squirrels from the north and south, and will operate a trap loan scheme and call-out service for despatching the greys.