A rare frog which croaks in what experts say is 'northern accent' is to be given legal protection after it was reintroduced to Britain.

Minister for Wildlife, Joan Ruddock showed her 'Kermit-ment' to safeguarding the pool frog by introducing the measures which come into effect on 1st October.

From then it will be illegal to kill, take, injure, disturb, own or sell the frog which died out in the UK in the 1990s.

Scientists say they discovered the frog was northern by analysing mating calls and matching them with frogs from Norway and Sweden - not because it used to be a coal miner and moans about prices down south.

Ruddock said: "The UK's native species need our support, and I hope today's announcement will help give the pool frog a secure future."

Natural England's amphibian specialist, Jim Foster, added: "It is vitally important to have this kind of protection in place for the pool frog before we could consider reintroducing them to new ponds in other parts of East Anglia.

"Early signs are encouraging that the pool frogs are settling in to the current release site. However, it will be several years before we can confidently assess the success of this reintroduction."

The UK history of the pool frog dates back to 1000AD and they have have been found at Saxon sites in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. The last native pool frog died in the 1990s after its populations declined to just one site in Norfolk.