RESIDENTS gathered at an island beauty spot for a crunch meeting to raise concerns with officials behind a project to relocate rare wildlife to the site.

Work to remove gorse bushes at Tummer Hill, Walney, to make new habitats for slow worms caused worries about established wildlife.

Gorse bushes on land next to where Biggar Bank Road meets Ocean Road were cleared so that slow worms could be rehomed there once they had been captured from the area of the Barrow Waterfront development site.

Cumbria County Council cut away the bushes on Barrow Borough Council owned-land to relocate the protected reptile species. A fire then destroyed more gorse bushes.

Local walkers were alarmed to see the site being cleared, fearing that wildlife would not return.

A group of around 10 residents gathered at the site yesterday to meet David Haughian, project manager for Barrow Waterfront, James Daplyn, the environment and planning lead for Capita and Suzannah Forshaw, an ecologist for Capita.

Residents said they were disgusted that no-one informed the community about the slow worm project until they questioned why the diggers were on-site. They had no idea how much gorse bush was going to be cleared.

The walkers and dog walkers said the area had been untouched for generations. Islander Rod Bedgar said the area now looks "decimated" and needs to be reclaimed for nature.

There were concerns about birds returning, such as a pair of stonechats which fledged around the time the diggers arrived.

The group was told that 37 areas had been investigated as possible sites. Tummer Hill will accommodate around 100 slow worms, land at North Scale near the dog kennels is now full of slow worms, and common lizards have been rehomed at land near Barrow slagbank.

The experts from Capita said the reptiles could not be rehomed at the island's nature reserves because of the presence of rare natterjack toads.

The party explained that ecologists have been consulted throughout the project to monitor birds and other wildlife. The slow worms are due to arrive in the next few weeks.

The officials said they want to work with residents and engage with them on community projects. The group said they want to see protective borders and bushes introduced to grow the area up again. The council representatives said ecologists would start looking at species to introduce on the site.

The residents also want the large areas of bushes and trees that run at Tummer Hill alongside Ocean Road to be cleared of rubbish.

A community meeting is being organised to take place in the next two weeks.

Resident Maureen Slater said: "Our priority is to get the area grown up again. Everyone wants the beauty spot back."