An organisation trying to bring lynx back to northern England has lost a High Court challenge.

Lynx UK Trust applied for a three-year trial in 2022 which could have seen three of the animals from Sweden released into Kielder Forest, but it was refused by Natural England.

The trust challenged the environmental body over the refusal to proceed to a full assessment but Ms Justice Obi dismissed the claim, saying: “On Natural England’s understanding of the law, the proposed release could not lawfully be implemented.”