BIRD lovers have warned the destruction of a "vital" wetland habitat will wipe out endangered species in Wyre Forest.

A six-week project by British Sugar to fill in three ponds on the 18-hectare site next to its former factory on Stourport Road, Kidderminster, should be completed next week.

But the Kidderminster branch of the West Midland Bird Club said the ponds are the only suitable habitat in Wyre Forest for several species, including the lapwing, whose numbers have dropped by 40 per cent in the last 30 years.

The man-made ponds had been filled with water used in the sugar refining process at the factory, closed by British Sugar in January.

The company maintained the work was being done to prevent intruders entering the barbed wire-protected site from coming to harm. Brian Rickett, Ray Gallier, Tony Kettle and John Smallwood from the West Midland Bird Club Kidderminster branch in front of a disappearing pond.

"This is very damaging - it's catastrophic," said club chairman Tony Kettle.

"Once a habitat has gone you're going to lose a certain number of birds. We won't see them again round here.

"Most of the species you'll find on the coast and in Kidderminster are quite rare."

Mr Kettle, of Prior Close, added: "Quite a few people in Hoobrook are dismayed about the ponds going."

Reserve manager for the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Helen Attwood, said migrating birds like redshanks and greenshanks used the ponds in the autumn or spring.

Birds such as tufted ducks spend the winter there and herons can be seen year round.

She added: "All wetland areas are important. We talk to British Sugar on a regular basis and we're trying to develop a restoration plan which would hopefully include that area."

A spokeswoman for British Sugar stressed the work was driven by safety reasons.

"The site is now decommissioned and this is part of making it safe. We've done all we can to make the site secure - it's got barbed wire all round and security - but people do break in."

She emphasised the adjacent SSSI - site of special scientific interest - remained unaffected.

And the spokeswoman added the company "regretted" the disappearance of the wildlife habitat but said she knew of no plans to develop a replacement wetland site.