A WILDLIFE haven recognised as an important breeding ground for birds could be placed in jeopardy, it is feared.

Work is being undertaken by the Manchester Ship Canal Company to fill in a part of Woolston Eyes.

Dredgings from the canal are being deposited on a bed close to a Site of Special Scientific Interest, near to Weir Lane, which is home to endangered black-necked grebes and 100 pairs of willow warblers.

Dr David Bell, nature conservation expert at the borough council said: "This is a nationally important site for wildfowl and we are concerned that this is going to be severely affected by uncontrolled access to the land."

Plans such as these would normally be subject to an environmental impact study - but the ship canal owners are operating within their remit.

Dr Bell says that a new channel has been created at the northern end of the site, making the bed "redundant" in the eyes of canal bosses. Presently public access to this section of the Eyes is "virtually impossible".

"When it is filled in," said Dr Bell, "one of the concerns of myself and conservation groups is there will be people wandering over there or on trail bikes and goodness knows what else."

Warden Erica Smith, of the Woolston Eyes Conservation group, said the site attracted birdwatchers from all over the north-west and it would a "great shame" to harm it.

The bed itself is surrounded by a wide loop of the River Mersey and is boarded at the northern end by the ship canal and at the other side by Woolston New Cut Canal.

The Manchester Ship Canal Company was unavailable for comment before the GUARDIAN went to press.

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