The restoration of a pond in Horton Country Park has led to a record number of newts living there.

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) shared the news via Twitter today (April 10), featuring a link to their Instagram page which contained images of some of the Great Crested newts at the pond.

EEBC said that 17 newts had been discovered at the pond during a visit earlier this month — a record for the nature reserve.

The pond rests in Horton County Park, a 152.-hectare nature reserve north-west of Epsom, in Surrey.

The park is managed by EEBC, who undertook restoration efforts recently in order to rebalance the pond as a hub of ecology in the area and attract a rejuvenation of the flora and fauna in the area.

In the Instagram post announcing the new newt record, EEBC said: "A record for Horton Country Park Local Nature Reserve was made today. 17 Great Crested Newts found in Field Pond! Thanks to all the volunteers who help us to carry out the survey and to those whose hard work restoring the pond has made it so special!"

The Great Crested Newt is a protected species in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

They are also listed as a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework and under the European Protected Species under Annex IV of the European Habitats Directive.

The Wildlife Trust describe great crested newts as looking like "mini dinosaurs".

They breed in ponds during the spring and spending most of the rest of the year feeding on invertebrates in woodland, hedgerows, marshes and tussocky grassland.