COUNCILLORS inadvertently put poisonous plants in a wildlife garden leaving “carnage” in their wake.

Volunteers who work at the wildlife garden, in High Street, Wivenhoe, were distraught after discovering three years’ hard work had been ruined.

Habitats, which insects will use for the winter, have been destroyed and laurels, which have poisonous berries and whose leaves become poisonous when it rains, planted in the garden instead.

The work appears to have been done a week ago.

Wivenhoe Town Council took immediate action yesterday morning and dug them up after being made aware of the issue by residents.

An investigation has been launched after they discovered council grounds workers had done the work under the instruction of councillors.

But the council’s estates committee had not authorised the work.

Mike Newton, deputy mayor of Wivenhoe and chairman of the estates committee, said: “I will get to the bottom of it and sort it out.

“There are people in Wivenhoe who are out for blood. They want to find the person responsible quickly.

“Our grounds workers did the work. They planted laurels and they produce hydrocyanic acid which means they don’t mix with wildlife at all.

“We have managed to remove them and we will be planting something else. We will be working with the volunteers on this.”

Mr Newton added: “It appears the work was agreed outside of the committee structure and that is part of a continuing investigation.”

No names have been given as to who could have authorised the work.

The wildlife garden, which sits behind Wivenhoe Town Council offices and is technically owned by the council, was opened in 2013 by resident Chris Gibson, a naturalist.

Since then it has been looked after by a team of trusty volunteers from a number of organisations, but most notably Transition Town Wivenhoe, which has also funded a lot of the work.

Insects and birds use the garden, with the stag beetle in particular calling it home.

However, the work has seen the garden “tidied up”, with their habitats removed.

Mr Gibson said: “It’s the clearance of the summer growth and removal of the wildlife’s homes, for whatever reason, which has caused the carnage.

“It’s almost gone back to as it was when it was first created three or four years ago.

“It’s a blank canvas.

“Obviously it will recover given time and management.

“But I think what bothers me is this has had on the many volunteer hours which have been put in to get that environment up and running.

“Having said that, I am happy to know that it wasn’t the town council’s wish and that they are looking into it.

“My hope is that they will put right whatever harm has been done and will continue to talk to and work with the volunteers in the future.”

Investigations into the councillor or councillors responsible for the work continues.