WILDLIFE habitats are being destroyed at unprecedented rate throughout

the country and the Government is doing little to stop it, a Labour MP

claimed yesterday.

Mr Hugh Bayley, MP for York, said thousands of miles of hedgerows were

ripped out each year and demanded laws to halt the destruction.

He spoke out as the International Biodiversity Convention, signed by

153 countries including the UK at last year's Earth summit in Rio de

Janeiro, comes into force. He said the Government had still to ratify

it.

''Scientists estimate that 140 plant and animal species are becoming

extinct every day and that half of all existing species are likely to

become extinct in the next 50 to 100 years, given present rates of

destruction of the tropical rain-forests,'' said Mr Bayley.

''The destruction of natural habitats is happening in temperate

countries too. Almost half of Britain's ancient broad-leafed woodlands

have been cut down since the Second World War.

''And the Government is about to announce plans to privatise the

Forestry Commission which has started to reverse the trend.

''Thousands of miles of historic hedgerows -- an essential feature of

the British countryside providing valuable wildlife corridors -- are dug

up every year. And the threat of future legislation is prompting farmers

to rip out remaining hedgerows at an unprecedented rate. It is no good

lecturing poor Third World countries about saving the rain-forests when

our own Government is doing precious little to stop the destruction of

valuable wildlife habitats in the British countryside.''