THE Cerne Giant has had a snip.

Teams of conservationists from English Nature were asked by the National Trust, which looks after the historic hillside monument in Cerne Abbas, to cut the grass to help preserve the giant.

Experts said the work was necessary not only to safeguard the monument but also to preserve chalkland flowers and a population of increasingly rare marsh fritillary butterflies.

A special cutting and collection machine belonging to English Nature was brought in to cut and remove long grass around the giant.

The National Trust asked for help from English Nature's national nature reserves team after a review was undertaken of the botanical features of the giant.

The area including the monument is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

As a result of the review National Trust staff reduced the number of sheep grazing at the site and said it was 'rewarded by a spectacular show of flowers', including pyramidal and common spotted orchids.

English Nature assistant site manager Duncan Cooper said: "Giving a short back and sides to the Cerne Abbas giant was definitely one of our more unusual requests.

"Normally our work is restricted to managing the national nature reserves but as we were taking the cutter past the giant anyway we were delighted to be able to help."

National Trust warden Rob Rhodes added: "We are reviewing our management of the Cerne Abbas giant to see if we can enhance the display of summer flowers while ensuring that the giant remains fully visible.

"Undertaking the work with English Nature also gave us a useful opportunity to see the cutter in action and evaluate whether similar techniques should be used in the future."

Conservationists hope a continued programme of reduced sheep grazing and careful grass cutting and strimming around the monument will lead to them being able to 'clothe' it in chalkland flowers in future years.

They said they hoped this could be achieved 'without reducing his more eye- catching characteristics'.