Dog walker captures video of one of the UK's 50 albino squirrels

A woman has spotted a rare albino squirrel while out walking her dog.

Michelle Bourner, 37, was thrilled to see a rare, completely white squirrel on her usual walking route in Hastings, East Sussex with black Labrador Roxy.

The condition affects around one in a million grey squirrels, with about 50 such creatures thought to live in the UK.

Michelle, who works in hospital records, said: "I couldn't believe it, we have lots of squirrels around where we live, but only the grey squirrels.

"So when I saw this beautiful white one I couldn't believe it.

"It was just on the grass by the woods where we live in Hastings, then when I moved closer to check it was 100% a squirrel it ran up the tree.

"That's when I started filming as I thought no one would believe me!"

The bright white colour comes from an absence of melanin in their skin and fur, and also results in red or pink eyes.

The odds of a squirrel being born with albinism are thought to be about one in 100,000.

Albinism puts these squirrels more at risk, as their white colour prevents them from being able to camouflage in the trees and forest floor.

Albino squirrels also tend to have poor eyesight and hearing problems, making them vulnerable to predators, and thus makes them all the rarer.