Lizard ID please

[scipio]

We were moving some plants around the garden, some of which had rooted in a rotten tree root, when we spotted this little chap. We picked it up so that we could take it back to the place we had dug it up from. I afraid it looks rather dirty (we are on a very sandy soil) so there are no clear patterns visible. However we can tell you the its belly was a light cream colour. Can anyone identify it from these photos.
We get a lot of slow-worms in the garden, frogs and occasional toads but we have never seen a legged lizard before (and we have lived here for 30 years).

[Ukwildlifeo]

Im afriad thats a newt, an amphibian not a lizard. Possibly a smooth newt. how long was it? look like it mite be a newt 'eft' which is basically a recently emerged tadpole

[Jez]

Liking those spade like nails rather like mine! Where you a Mole in a previous life?

[scipio]

Delighted to hear that is was a newt. I guess it was about 10 cm long. We have no water in the garden but that doesn't seem to deter the frogs.We had a baby frog today in our heather bed (along with a baby slow worm). I have, however, created a wild garden which has piles of rotting wood and a dense cover of wild plants. That probably led to our invasion by long-tailed field-mice this year with 7 caught indoors (humanely) and released into the wild; but that's another story.
Thanks for the diagnosis

[Dogghound]

Smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris , dont think its an eft looks to big.

[Spoonbill]

Yep, that's a newt alright. I thought it was a great crested newt when I first looked at the picture. XD