A walker was shocked to discover find that all the trees and hedges in an area being developed as a wildlife habitat on the banks of the Humber have been cut down.

Vegetation has been removed along a 1km stretch at Skeffling, which is part of a managed realignment scheme aiming to improve flood protection and create 175 hectares of new mudflat and saltmarsh habitat.

Trees and bushes have been chopped down along the drain banks, but also along the track leading to the flood bank and on the flood bank at the side of the estuary.

A dogwalker said it seemed like “wanton destruction” with no regard for resident wildlife. He said: “Everything has been cleared in quite a large area. It looks really barren now.

"There's usually loads of birds that use those hedges.

"It seems like madness to chop everything down when they are meant to be improving the habitat.”

The scheme, which is a joint initiative between the Environment Agency and Associated British Ports, involves building a new line of flood defences further inland and then breaching the old banks so water comes in to create intertidal habitat.

The EA said the trees and hedgerows had been removed “as they are located on the alignment where the new banks, ditches and footpaths will be constructed. They are also within the area of excavations necessary to build the embankments and future intertidal creek system.”

In a recent press statement project manager Andrew Gee said the scheme would create “vital new habitats for nature to thrive”, while reducing flood risk for Welwick and Skeffling

Walker's shock after trees and hedges chopped down to make way for a new wildlife habitat