A Reform UK council has backed the release of wild beavers into the countryside, despite the party’s opposition to rewilding. The Reform-led Leicestershire county council has backed the release of the rodents as part of efforts to reduce flooding. The Labour government recently legalised the release of beavers in England, about 400 years after the animals were hunted to extinction for their fur and an oil they produce. The animals are lauded by environmental campaigners for the habitats they create by damming rivers, which can reduce flooding during periods of heavy rain while also storing water in the landscape during drier months. They also have been found to improve water quality and boost numbers of bats, fish, birds, amphibians and invertebrates.…