THE removal of 11 mature trees at Uplyme could spell the end for a colony of rare bats, conservationists have warned.

They say the tiny creatures may quit their centuries old home close to the Devon Hotel when their vital flight corridor is axed.

Around a dozen protected lesser horseshoe bats spend the winter sleeping in village catacombs - part of a former monastery dating from 774 that once stood on the site.

They are protected by law and have to remain completely undisturbed during their slumbers between November and April.

But since work began on a housing development in the grounds of the former hotel a group of nearby protected trees, 10 ash and one sycamore, have been damaged.

And now East Devon Council has given the go ahead for them to be axed despite protests from the parish council and local residents.

They agreed to the trees' removal after hearing from their tree officer Andrew Pinchin who described them as "relatively poor" specimens up to 16m in height.

He added: "They are likely to have limited safe life expectancies. Several of the trees have sustained damage to the bark and ground levels have recently been built up around the trees which will be likely to lead to further decline."

The council decided that despite the "local concern" the trees should be removed because of their poor quality.

Their report added: "It was not felt that the specific value of these trees as a habitat for bats is such that the trees should be retained on this basis."

East Devon Conservation Officer Matt Low said it appeared the trees were in a state of "terminal decline" due to the raising of soil levels around them at some previous stage in the development.

"The tree officer does not think they will recover and so felling is the only way forward," he said. "He has however insisted that the trees be replaced by the same number of ash standards of a larger than usual size - reflecting the landscape and ecological importance of the trees. The new trees will provide a degree of cover for the bats to move to and from the site and will over a relatively short period begin to fill out."

He added: "I would be concerned to ensure that the current trees are not felled during the bird nesting season - as I believe they are used by rooks - and the replacement trees are maintained and not allowed to die off."

Uplyme conservationist John Wood, whose home at Rhode Gardens is also the summer roost for lesser horseshoe bats, deplored the decision to fell the trees.

He said: "Many trees have already been removed from the site and the proposal to remove another 11 may remove the vestiges of any flight corridor remaining for the bats to access the roost from open country.

"The Devon Hotel progressively tends to become more detached from the open countryside threatening its viability as a roost.

"At Rhode Hill Gardens we are lucky to have a breeding summer roost of Lesser Horseshoe bats. It is highly likely that these hibernate at the Devon Hotel site. Numbers over the last two years have shown a marked decline after a steady increase in previous years. It does concern me that this decline could be a result of disturbance and developments at the hotel."

Accusing the tree officer of "stubbornly refusing to listen to the protests", he added: "What is so exasperating is that several people made valid suggestions of alternative approaches to this problem including coppicing over a period of years and the removal of the trees and replanting over a number of years to maintain continuity of tree cover. That's exactly what he is not doing by removing all the trees the once."

Mr Wood said the fear now was the replacement trees would not be properly maintained and if allowed to die could pave the way for a planning application to build on the site alongside Lyme Road.