BRITAIN'S rarest bat remained elusive as a group of nature-lovers went on a night-time hunt in the Malvern Hills for the creature.

A total of 20 adults and two children turned up to the bat walk in the hills - organised by the Malvern Hills Conservators - in the hope of spotting one of the Barbastelle bats.

The Worcestershire-based Vincent Wildlife Trust estimates only about 5,000 Barbastelle bats exist nationwide - several of which are in the woodlands around the Malvern Hills.

The one-hour walk was held on Thursday evening and led from British Camp car park by bat expert Johnny Birks of the Vincent Wildlife Trust in Bronshil, near Eastnor.

Participants armed with bat detectors - which pick up on the sonar the creatures use - followed a route from the car park down Tinkers Wood Hill to the reservoir and back up the valley.

"It was a great evening and people were really interested," said Conservators' visitor services manager Clare Joynes.

"The great thing is it's good to hear and see the bats but with an expert coming along too it's a better way for people to find out about them.

"We were lucky because it didn't rain because that tends to stop them coming out, but it was actually quite cold which meant we didn't pick up as many species as we would have otherwise."

The walk was part of a series of events to mark Worcestershire Wildlife Week and the Conservators is hoping to organise another bat hunt next month.