A CARING councillor has rescued hundreds of newts from the bulldozers.

In a tiring three-day operation Jack Englefield ferried the amphibians from a pond that was to be filled in to the safety of his back garden.

Now he has quit his position on Fareham Council's Planning Committee in protest at borough chiefs who failed to carry out environmental checks on the site.

But a spokesman for the council said that it was not feasible to carry out assessments on every planning application and that the rescued newts were not an endangered species.

Now the Daily Echo is joining forces with Cllr Englefield to find people to adopt about 300 newts, which are under pressure throughout Britain due to the loss of their habitat to development and agriculture.

Cllr Englefield said: "I was horrified to think that hundreds of these creatures would be killed and I really made sure that I got them all.

"Someone told me there were some newts in the pond so I went to investigate. I couldn't believe how many were down there."

A spokesman for Fareham Borough Council said: "The evidence seen by our ecologist is that they are common newts which are not endangered as the greater crested are.

"I am happy that in this particular case there was no need for a comprehensive survey. There are obligations on the developer to look after wildlife."

At a tense planning meeting Cllr Englefield refused to take his seat and presented the chairman David Swanbrow with a jar containing three newts.

Cllr Englefield added: "I just wanted to make a point that we seem to be more interested in processing an application in six weeks than properly completing environmental assessments.

"I dread to think how many similar ponds have just been filled in. As councillors, there is nothing like actually visiting the site before we grant permission. It wouldn't hurt to leave our ivory tower once in a while."

The newts are now safely swimming around at the pond behind his home in Lower Church Road, Titchfield Common.

He rescued them from land off Station Road, Park Gate where bulldozers are ripping down four old houses to make way for a smart new flat complex.

One of the four homes in Station Road was sold to the developers by Cllr Englefield's parents.

a newt call The Daily Echo on 01329 285503.