Elizabeth Barrett

Britain's butterflies suffered their worst year for more than a quarter of a century after a rain-soaked summer, new figures show.

Conservationists said good weather was urgently needed to allow numbers to recover from last year's damaging washout - the wettest since records began.

The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, operated by the charity Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, found eight butterfly species were at an all-time low.

They included the Common Blue, the Grayling, the Lulworth Skipper, the Small Skipper, the Small Tortoiseshell, the Speckled Wood, the Chalkhill Blue and the Wall.

The data was collected by thousands of volunteers around the country.

Butterflies do not fly in the rain, making it impossible for them to reach plant nectar to feed. Heavy rain also means they are unable to breed.

Additional varieties whose numbers have been affected include the High Brown Fritillary and the Duke of Burgundy, both already victims of years of decline.

Conservationists fear the problems of 2007 and the impact on butterfly breeding could worsen the downward spiral of numbers and leave certain species at risk of extinction in parts of the country.

Biodiversity Minister Joan Ruddock pledged the government would support the recovery schemes.

She said: "Butterflies are a vital element of the British summer. Their numbers indicate whether or not there are problems in the countryside. Butterfly populations also indicate the speed and extent of climate change. We will provide every encouragement for those working to conserve them."