A WILDLIFE charity has launched its annual search to find the farmer who does the most for nature.

The Nature of Farming Award aims to find the farmer who has put in the most work on their land to help wildlife in the countryside.

The competition, run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), has already received a high level of entries, with applications being accepted until April 20.

After the closing date, entries will be shortlisted to eight regional winners and then a panel of experts will decide which four should go through to the national finals. There will also be a highly commended category, to recognise the efforts of farmers who have excelled in their support of farmland wildlife.

Tony Whitehead, spokesman for the RSPB in the South West, said: "The South West is rich in wildlife, much of this benefiting from the hard work of farmers with the support from agri-environment schemes.

"In the past few years we've had a number of West Country farmers in the finals and would love this to continue. It's a great opportunity for farmers across the region to showcase what they are doing every day on their farms to look after the fantastic wildlife of our countryside."