An innovative scheme to reintroduce one of the UK's rarest wildflowers is to be tried out at The Donkey Sanctuary.

The small-flowered catchfly used to thrive in field margins but has vanished from around 70 per cent of its former growing areas. In northern England it had almost completely disappeared by 1950, because of agricultural intensification and an increased use of herbicide.

It is now found only in a few locations near the coasts of south-west England and Wales.

But now, more than 20,000 seeds of the plant have been sown in plots on farmland at The Donkey Sanctuary's Sidmouth headquarters.

If the wildflower becomes established, trials will be to find out if the donkeys can help the germination process. The donkeys will walk over specially seeded plots and it's hoped that this may help embed the seeds into the ground, in a process known as treading in.

The seed sowing is part of a strategy to reintroduce small-flowered catchfly to its former range, and is part of a project called Colour in the Margins by the environment charity Plantlife, aimed at supporting rare arable plants across the country.

The wildflower has been reintroduced at a number of sites in Cornwall and Devon as part of the project.

Ruth Angell, The Donkey Sanctuary's ecology and conservation manager, said: "We are really excited about our involvement with the Colour in the Margins project. It is a great example of making best use of available land and finding ways to support a wider range of wildlife species.

"Increasing biodiversity is essential for an enriched and resilient environment which can support rare species as well as our resident herds of donkeys."

"It is important to us that our donkeys benefit from different types of activities and experiences. Our donkeys will be able to enjoy a walk with our grooms and benefit from one-to-one time while they walk over the plots.

"As well as allowing us to help with this exciting reintroduction programme to see the return of these rare arable plants, our wildflower and grain plots provide a rich nectar and pollen source for invertebrates, as well as seed and insect food for finches and buntings.

"Our team of conservation officers and volunteers work on a range of projects across our sanctuary sites, including woodland, hedge and grassland management to improve habitat for both wildlife and donkeys."

Cath Shellswell, Plantlife manager for the Colour in the Margins project, said: "We're incredibly grateful to partners like The Donkey Sanctuary who are helping these fantastically rare wildflowers come back from the brink of extinction by giving them a helping hand in one of their original regional strongholds.

"We look forward to seeing small-flowered catchfly return and working with the sanctuary to ensure this tiny plant has a thriving future."

James Harding-Morris, communications manager for Back from the Brink, said: "Back from the Brink is all about working in partnership to save endangered species and so it is wonderful to see our Plantlife-led Colour in the Margins project and The Donkey Sanctuary working together to make a big difference for the small-flowered catchfly. It shows how every organisation and every individual has the power to make a positive change for our threatened wildlife."