GOATS will be introduced at Alum Chine in a bid to manage Bournemouth's unique cliff habitats.

A small herd will be put in place following a similar successful scheme at Honeycombe Chine in Boscombe.

The trial scheme at Boscombe saw the hungry goats polish off much of undergrowth and save tens of thousands of pounds for council taxpayers.

They were placed on a stretch of sloping cliff and restored the natural habitat by eating the invasive plant life like bamboo, Japanese knotweed and holm oak.

The scheme meant Bournemouth council no longer needed expensive contractors to clear the unwanted species on an annual basis.

Stuart Clarke, conservation and countryside manager at Bournemouth Council said: "In 2014 we entered into an environmental stewardship agreement with Natural England to manage our unique cliff habitats with the key aim to restore the cliffs to a more natural state for the benefit of the important native plants and animals that live there.

"This means controlling the spread of invasive non-native species such as holm oak and Hottentot fig. "We know from our experience of goat grazing at Honeycombe Chine that this is a very effective and sustainable way of achieving this aim therefore, we plan to introduce goat grazing to other suitable areas including the cliff between Alum Chine and Middle Chine."

Since their introduction at Boscombe, the goats have also proved to be an attraction with many visitors stopping to take photographs.