I think the council just ramroaded the planning through and just bulldozed the whole area as rapidly as they could

Chris Wytch

Chris Wytch from the Gee Cross Green Action Group said: "The council must have known the newts were on the site.

"We believe they didn't do an environmental impact assessment to look for them on purpose, because they knew if they found them then they would have to move them.

"I think the council just ramroaded the planning through and just bulldozed the whole area as rapidly as they could."

Adult great crested newts can reach 165mm in length and are distinguished by their dark colouring marked with small, white spots.

Declining population

The underbelly is a fiery orange or paler yellow and the crest is a a flap of skin sported by the males in the spring.

Because of their declining population, great crested newts are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and the European Habitats Directive (1994).

The degradation of ponds has been blamed for the population fall

Councillor Joe Kitchen, deputy for lifelong learning at Tameside Council, denied the council were aware of the newts.

"The reason they weren't discovered before now is that the advice the council was given was that it was very unlikely because of the terrain and the fact there were horses in some fields nearby.

"It was unlikely we would find great crested newts or any newts for that matter."

So far, 14 newts have been captured at a cost of �80,000 - and rising - to council tax payers.

The area around the school site is penned off with black plastic fencing and buckets buried along the perimeter.

The newts are captured when they hop along the length of the plastic and fall into a bucket.