RAT poison could be used to control grey squirrels in a bid to save the dwindling red squirrel population from extinction.

Junior Environment Minister James Clappison disclosed yesterday that the Forestry Commission was holding talks with the official body that controls poisons about the introduction of special feeding hoppers which would use Warfarin to kill greys in areas where they threaten surviving colonies of red squirrels.

Native reds would not be able to use the hoppers, as only the larger and stronger greys - imported to the UK from America last century - would be able to gain access to the poisoned wheat inside.

The Minister was replying to a short debate launched by Tory Peter Atkinson, (Hexham), who warned that English red squirrels faced extinction if controls on greys were not brought in.

Mr Atkinson told the House: ``It is sometimes difficult to talk about control, because squirrels are seen as furry animals and members of the public like to feed them.''

Mr Clappison ack-nowledged that the public could view control of a species by poisoning as rather brutal

In England red squirrels still survive on the Isle of Wight and parts of Wales and the North of England, including the Kielder Forest in Mr Atkinson's constituency.