People living in Totterdown are angry after Network Rail decided to clear a piece of ground they claim is home to rare wildlife. Suzanne Ferris said she was shocked when she saw the clearance of the nature spot off Bellevue Terrace begin. The 43-year-old writer immediately contacted the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to tell them rare bull finches nest on the site, something Network Rail denies.

The RSPB said if this was the case anyone who intentionally cleared the site could be subject to a fine or prosecution.

Mrs Ferris, who lives in Bellevue Terrace, said there was also a badger sett on the site, which appeared to have been disturbed. She has contacted the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about this, as badgers are also a protected species.

Mrs Ferris has been told the transport police are looking into the matter.

She has also contacted Bristol City Council to suggest it buys the land for allotment use or to preserve as green space.

Lee Hollingsworth, RSPB wildlife adviser, said: "Anyone intentionally clearing nests of bull finches would be committing an offence under the Countryside and Wildlife Act. Bull finches are on our red list, which means there has been a 50 per cent deterioration in population during the last 25 years. If anyone was prosecuted they could receive a fine and, in theory, they could go to prison. We would suggest people contact the police, who have the power to stop the work."

Network Rail claims it has carried out an environmental assessment of the site and found no rare species.

A spokesman said: "We've done some surveys around the area before clearance. It is notorious for fly tipping and is exposed to a lot of contaminants. We carried out an environmental and ecological assessment and didn't find anything. We use the land frequently for safety operations so we have begun clearance for safety reasons, as part of regular maintenance. Before we move forward to a full clearance of the site we will do another environmental assessment."

The spokesman said it was "early stages" in terms of what Network Rail planned to do with the site, and could not confirm whether or not it planned to sell it off.

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