More than half of Europe's amphibians could be extinct by 2050, a team of UK researchers warn.

Climate change, habitat destruction and disease were the main factors threatening the species' long-term survival, they added.

Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said creatures in Italy and Iberia were at most risk.

A recent global assessment found that a third of all amphibians were at risk of being wiped off the face of the planet.

The findings were presented at an event hosted by naturalist Sir David Attenborough to highlight the plight of Europe's amphibians.

"Amphibians are the lifeblood of many environments, playing key roles in the functions of ecosystems," Sir David said.

"It is both extraordinary and terrifying that in just a few decades we could lose half of all these species."

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