Council demands cash from Government after nearly two million of pounds wasted to find newts - that weren't there

Leicestershire County Council had to put a major road-building scheme on hold after evidence of rare great crested newts was found near the site.

Officials were left stunned when a more in-depth study of the area later suggested the population could actually amount to a grand total of one.

The Earl Shilton by-pass which ground to a halt earlier this year

Then, after splashing out a seven-figure sum on the alleged problem, they were left fuming by the revelation that there was actually none.

Now the authority has asked for the Department for Transport to pay the extra 1.7-million pounds it had to spend on the Earl Shilton bypass.

It claims the costs were caused by delays beyond its control and that the Government should foot the bill for the fiasco.

Leicestershire council says delays to the bypass cost an extra £1.7million

A spokesman said today: 'The overall cost of the scheme is forecast to be 1.7-million pounds more than the original estimate.

'A request for additional grant funding will now go to the Department for Transport after approval by the regional assembly in September.'

Evidence of a colony was originally found near the 15-million-pound site during surveys last summer, delaying the project by several months.

A 1,000-yard exclusion zone was immediately thrown up around the ponds, effectively cutting the site in two, while further tests were carried out.

'Experts' later confirmed there were probably no more than 10 newts and perhaps as few as just one of the species - which is protected by environment laws.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds was spent on fences and special traps to help move the newts - or newt - when hibernation ended in spring.

Although it was later confirmed none had been found, officials could have faced a huge fine or even jail if they had failed to protect the colony.

A Department for Transport spokesman said yesterday: 'If the council does submit a request for additional funding then this will be considered.' 

The bypass had been ahead of schedule before evidence of newts was discovered. It is now expected to open in February 2009 - three months late.

Earlier this year a junior environment minister defended spending £60,000 moving four great crested newts from a site in Cheshire.

Joan Ruddock told the Commons: 'It is not possible to equate the overall sum, which is relevant and necessary, to the number of newts actually moved.'