A TEAM from Bexley Council’s planning enforcement is investigating work carried out by a Thamesmead landowner in a sensitive area of the town.

Tilfen Land has dug a large deep ditch close the the fence which separates its land from Southmere Park.

The land, which forms part of Erith Marshes, has been a battleground between the company and local environmentalists since the company made its first planning applications to build an industrial estate there.

The new ditch runs almost the whole length of the border between Southmere Park and Tilfen’s land, to the Thames Water-owned Crossness Nature reserve Environmentalists claim the ditch is already having the effect of draining water from the marshland.

A spokesman for Tilfen Land said: “The works have had no ecological or hydrological impacts and have been undertaken solely to protect the land from ongoing vandalism and damage.”

Tilfen took legal action in 2008 to remove horses illegally grazing on its land which were damaging the trees and dykes, and says there are now signs water voles are returning.

It says it has planted thousands of new trees and plants in the tree belt along the site’s southern boundary, as part of a long-term woodland management plan.

The spokesman said the metal boundary fence was frequently cut by people getting onto the site to ride quad bikes and motorbikes, causing considerable ecological damage.

He said after 95 new trees were damaged two weeks after planting, Tilfen “took urgent steps” to prevent more environmental damage by making the land more difficult to access.