DEVASTATED residents of Newington Drive have been refilling a threatened lodge using hosepipes in a bid to save wildlife.

The residents faced scenes of destruction as their fight to save the home of nesting birds seemed lost - the wildlife lodge was drained by Wednesday afternoon.

As reported previously in the Bury Times, work has been carried out at Barracks Lodge since owners, Stately Developments were refused planning permission because of the wildlife value of the lodge.

Residents say the work has destroyed the wildlife value of the area, thereby removing the reasons for refusal.

Mr Stephen Horrocks was one of several residents who stood there helplessly watching.

"They'd taken the valve off the sluice gate and drained the lodge. There's no food for a family of coots. The birds have been left in danger from the foxes which live on the bank," he said. As well as trying to refill the lodge, residents also tried to block up the sluice in a bid to save the dying haven.

Mr Horrocks said: "This is vandalism. There's no way anyone can call this maintenance. They've destroyed this site and we should be prosecuting these people."

But residents were not the only ones angry - workmen went to Bury Police Station to report the residents after the lodge was refilled.

One said "We're doing some work on the lodge and the residents are trying to obstruct us. We are going to have to drain it again now."

And he denied their work had got rid of wildlife. "There is no wildlife there, just a few birds. The ducks can fly away, they are old enough," he said.

"It is our land and I'm sick of them. The residents keep trying to sabotage our work. I've also suffered racist abuse towards the Irish."

Mr Matt Berry, Stately managing director, yesterday repeated the company's assertion that the work was maintenance of the site, and added that further work could be needed "because of the damage that has been caused".

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