COUNCIL UNDER FIRE AFTER AREA FLATTENED BY TRACTOR

NORTHUMBERLAND County Council has come under fire after a tractor flattened part of a park designated as a wetland and wildlife area.

- By JAMES ROBINSON

The Friends of Eastwoods Park (FOEP) in Prudhoe, a charity dedicated to improving the park, claim they managed to stop the damage but a large area was lost.

Volunteers have said they are devastated by the damage caused. However, the council insists that the work was planned and completed correctly.

A statement issued by the Miners' Lamp Cafe and Community Hub, which is run by the FOEP, reads: "Devastated isn't the word to describe how we all feel today.

"After years of care, attention and money spent by our charity the Friends of Eastwoods Park to develop what was just a waterlogged area of Eastwoods Park into a wetland and wildlife area. Northumberland County Council decided to bring in a tractor and begin flattening it.

"We managed to stop them before too much damage was done, however, we have now lost a large area of habitat, including well-established grasses and sedge which provided shelter and food for many amphibians, insects and mammals, increasing biodiversity and helping fight climate change.