AN unexpected prisoner was found in the disused cells at Ystradgynlais Police Station.

Police had been cleaning the cells at their Station Road base when they discovered a toad.

Officers shared a photograph of their guest, who they joked was a pet for the neighbourhood policing team, on the Ystradgynlais Police Twitter account, saying “Found this little guy whilst cleaning one of the old cells in the station. Now safely re-homed outside! #toad #newNPTpet”.

The finding came as bird protection charity the RSPB said sightings of garden amphibians are drying up

Results from its wildlife survey, which is part of the Big Garden Birdwatch, show sightings of toads in gardens and outdoor spaces dropped by 30% from when it had previously surveyed them in 2014.

Frogs are the most common non-bird garden visitor, seen at least monthly in close to 40% of gardens, which was 17% fewer regular sightings than the last time they were surveyed in 2014 when they were observed monthly in around 46% of gardens.

The RSPB says at a quick glance a nature novice may not be able to spot the difference between a frog and a toad. Frog’s hop, their skin is smooth and moist and they have a pointed nose, whilst a toad crawls, their skin is warty and dry and their noses are rounded – almost semi-circular in shape.

Dr Daniel Hayhow, RSPB conservation scientist, said: “Unfortunately, the sights and sounds of wildlife that were once common to us are sadly becoming more mysterious.

“There are lots of simple things we can all do in our outdoor spaces to make them perfect for wildlife. Frogs and toads are amphibious creatures meaning that they need a source of water close to their homes to survive. Creating a small pond in your garden, or a pool using a washing up bowl is so simple to do and could make all the difference.”

Other results from the survey revealed a small increase in the number of recorded sightings of hedgehogs. Despite the UK population suffering widespread declines in recent decades, 65% of people spotted one in their gardens over the past year.

Foxes remained one of the other most common garden visitors with one being spotted in 72% of gardens and outdoor spaces.