HELP is at hand for Ratty. The misnamed water vole from the children's classic Wind in the Willows is one of five new species that has been given extra protection in Wales.

"AS the cool autumn evenings begin to draw in, what better way to spend them than tucked up on the sofa in front of the TV in the company of those fine fellows Ratty, Badger, Mole and, of course, Toad. And with The Wind In The Willows: Autumn Antics coming to DVD next month, you can do just that.

Wind power company Broadwind Energy has finalized its acquisition of Badger Transport, a heavy-goods haulier that specializes in transporting oversized and overweight components and equipment for the wind energy industry.

By Bill Keveney The Mole is out of hiding. After a four-year hiatus, ABC's cloak-and-dagger reality series returns tonight (10 ET/PT) with 12 players competing for prize money while trying to identify a saboteur in their ranks.

By Alice Wright A shy water-dwelling creature is slowly being encouraged to return to Devon rivers, and residents can help a project to coax water voles back to the region. The water vole was immortalised as Ratty in Kenneth Graham's children's classic, The Wind in the Willows.