BRITAIN'S top nature conservation body has accused Southampton port bosses of under-estimating Dibden Bay's importance to the local bird population.

English Nature also hit out at plans to dredge the area and dump huge amounts of mud on the foreshore between Hythe and Cadland.

The twin attack on Associated British Ports (ABP) was made at the public inquiry into plans for a £750m container terminal north of Hythe.

Inquiry chairman Michael Hurley heard evidence from Dr Paul Gilliland, a member of English Nature's national maritime team.

Dr Gilliland described the Dibden Bay scheme and its likely impact on the area's benthic community - a term used to describe life on the seabed.

He said highly important habitats on the foreshore would be removed and its benthic community destroyed if the proposed port was approved.

Dr Gilliland also warned that the proposed "recharge" of the Hythe-Cadland mudflats would result in marine life being smothered.

"Both areas are of national interest because they support important bird populations and are also of interest in their own right," he said. "ABP's assessment is likely to have undervalued the importance of the Dibden foreshore as a habitat that supports feeding birds."

Turning to the Hythe-Cadland shoreline Dr Gilliland referred to claims that the area was underused by birds because of high pollution levels.

He stressed that serious contamination was restricted to sites near a discharge at Fawley Refinery.

Dr Gilliland added: "ABP have failed to adequately characterise the benthic community of the foreshore and have not provided sufficient justification for the recharge."

ABP has defended the scheme, saying it will cap contaminated sediment with clean material.

But Dr Gilliland said it would result in the loss of the benthic community inhabiting areas that were smothered by mud delivered from Dibden Bay. "The loss may be longer than predicted.'' he said

Proceeding