Environmental chiefs horrified at reserve damage

A businessman whose tractors ripped up an internationally-protected nature reserve declared tonight: “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

But angry environmental chiefs are still expected to bring charges after a stretch of Strangford Lough shoreline in Co Down was destroyed – with potentially catastrophic consequences for marine life and wildlife.

National Trust-owned land to which 90% of the world’s brent geese population migrate in search of food was ploughed over a 10-day period.

Up to 15 acres of eel grass, a vital food source for the birds coming in from Arctic Canada, were ruined.

But Ken Cooke, who was cleaning vintage tractors in preparation for agricultural shows and exhibitions, insisted farmers in the area had been doing it for years.

He protested: “It’s a furore about very little.

“It’s not nearly as bad as what they are saying. There are thousands of acres there, it’s a very big area and what we have done was only a pinprick.”

His assessment clashed with that of environmentalists who were horrified by the scale of destruction.

Experts from Castle Espie Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust near where the ploughing happened insisted it would take years to repair the damage.

The land is considered so special that a global protection order was issued. EU directives also applied, while the shoreline has been designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest.

Ragworms and cockles eaten by wading birds such as knot and oyster catcher will also have been killed in the process.

Any decision to prosecute must be made by the Government-run Environment Heritage Service.

Officials are waiting until Minister Angela Smith returns to her desk on Monday before a final decision is taken.

But a dossier is already been drawn up by the EHS, assisted by a special environmental research team from Queen’s University in Belfast.

It is focusing on the type of activity and the scale of the damage.

“The feeling is prosecution will happen,” one source said.

“The Minister will be briefed by senior EHS staff on Monday and then we will see.”

Mr Cooke, who runs an engineering firm in Newtownards, Co Down, said he has been cleaning rusty ploughs for years to use with his vintage tractors.

The company boss insisted he was ready to defend himself against any action.

“I would have to explain my case,” he said.

“Local farmers and the classic (vehicle) organisation would back me up on it.

“But everybody uses the beach. People dig up lugworms and around the corner there’s a sewage works.”