A DEVELOPER is being asked to replace protected hedgerow after it was ripped down in error.

Colchester Council is taking steps to ensure a protected hedgerow in Salary Brook, Colchester, which was home to some highly endangered species, is fully replaced.

It had been wrongly removed by developers at the nature reserve.

A total of 170 metres of hedgerow, which was on council-owned land and housed species such as dormice, was ripped up by developers carrying out work related to building new student accommodation in the area.

The council is now asking the developer to ensure the hedgerow is replaced along with any earthworks needed to support it.

It is also putting further legal protection in place to

help prevent this happening again.

Colchester Council leader Mark Cory said an investigation has been launched to

find out exactly what happened.

He said: “The loss of this hedgerow basically equates to environmental and ecological vandalism.

“Not only was this hedgerow protected but it played a key role in the area’s ecosystem.

“We are committed to improving and protecting our environment and as soon as we were aware of the issue our officers started an investigation into how this happened.”

Police are also involved in the investigation and the developer has admitted fault.

Mr Cory added: “The developers working on the site have accepted responsibility and we are taking steps to ensure they replace it and make certain this doesn’t happen again.

“We have also reported the issue to Essex Police’s Wildlife Crimes team to investigate.”

A spokesman for Osborne, the developer, said: "We are investigating the allegations that have been made by Colchester Borough Council in relation to their land.

"As such it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this time or indeed until the facts related to the allegation have been properly collated and concluded."