Over the next 18 months, a nature conservation organisation is planning to rescue the endangered molluscs by recreating an oyster bank off the coast of Wells.

The project, led by Oyster Heaven, will deploy four million of the humble but mighty shellfish on the sea floor by 2026, helping to clean and restore the North Sea.

Native oysters once thrived in Britain's waters but they have almost vanished, their population plunging by 95pc since the mid-19th century mainly down to overfishing and seabed trawling.

A photo of Hunstanton beach taken in 1910 when the shore was covered in oysters. It is believed there are more oysters in this photo than there are now across the whole of the UK. (Image: Sonya Duncan) The disappearance of the reefs left a gaping hole in local marine ecosystems - but the new restoration project means the oysters are set for a comeback.

George Birch, founder of Oyster Heaven, said that oysters are the answer to many of the problems currently facing the North Sea.

In a barn outside Wells, where the oysters are maturing in two large tanks, he demonstrated their superpower: filtering water.

Two small tanks had been placed side by side, with algae added to both. After oysters were placed in one of them, the water had turned clear within one hour, while the water in the other tank remained murky and green.

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