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Beavers are back in business after three generations of the same beaver family have been spotted living in the wild in Britain.

It's the first time beavers have managed to establish themselves in the wild without human help for 400 years.

The family, which includes three babies, was spotted near the River Avon in the Bristol and Bath area.

Beavers are native to the UK, but in previous centuries they had been hunted to near extinction for their fur and meat.

A recent study backed by the government acknowledged the benefit beavers have on the wildlife around them, due to their roles as engineers.

Over the past few years, beavers have been reintroduced into enclosures in British counties to help with flooding and help create habitats for other wildlife.

Beavers are known for taking wood and building dams, where they hold up a lot of water - this can protect downriver land from flooding and reduces silt, improving the quality of water that does go through the dams.

Another benefit to the beavers' dams is the large wetlands that are created as a result, and this environment is very beneficial to the wildlife and plants that live there.

The government is expected to announce plans to give beavers legal protection in England.

Amy Coulthard, director of nature's recovery at Avon Wildlife Trust, said: "A new sighting of wild beavers is extremely significant.

"Beavers are a keystone species and they have an extraordinary ability to change habitats to suit their needs while creating ecosystems for other species to thrive.

"The presence of this beaver population will support other wildlife and help us to tackle the ecological emergency."

However, she also said that the origins of this particular beaver family are a mystery.