WANTON woodpeckers have got a national utility company into a bit of a flap after being caught misbehaving, reports Lisa Higginson.

The boring birds have been held responsible for damaging a wooden telegraph pole at New Dungeon Ghyll, near Ambleside.

United Utilities linesmen discovered the pock-marked pole, along with several others, during a condition survey of power lines, which is part of the company's largest ever inspection of the North West's network.

The utility giant, which owns and maintains the local electricity distribution network in Cumbria, has had local engineers walking from pole to pole to assess their physical condition - and beak damage has become a new addition to their checklist.

Project manager Martyn Welch explained the survey had highlighted woodpeckers as a common cause of damage to poles throughout the district.

"Woodpeckers are looking for grubs that lay just beneath the surface of the wooden poles, so they peck away at them," said Mr Welch.

For story in full see March 30 Westmorland Gazette.