ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have fired yet another salvo of criticism at Southampton docks operator Associated British Ports over its plans for a £700m dock at Dibden Bay.

But ABP's chief executive Bo Lerenius has hit back by stressing that the company is "totally aware of what we need to do here to mitigate the impact on the surrounding environment".

Representatives of Friends of the Earth (FoTE) turned up at the company's annual meeting in London to question the wisdom of a new container terminal and warn of the potential environmental damage.

FoTE director Tony Juniper, who spoke against the scheme at the meeting, said later: "The company has been given a very strong message that by no means is this a widely-supported proposal and I put it to them that those who suffer most if this goes ahead will be the people and the wildlife of the local area.

"But our objections will not end here and if the public inquiry which ended in Southampton just before Christmas goes in their favour, we will go straight to Europe to ask for it to be rejected on the basis of the European Habitats Directive and Birds Directive."

FoTE's regional campaigns organiser Brenda Pollack said: "I will be surprised if the government gives them permission. If this goes ahead it will mean that wildlife laws are not worth the paper they're printed on."