A NATIONAL park ranger has defended an ‘ill-judged decision’ which has seen rock pools containing tadpoles filled in alongside a popular walking route from Okehampton onto the moor.

Ranger Ian Brooker said ‘a small section’ of rock pools alongside the footpath beside the East Okement River in Halstock Wood had been filled in to allow access for machinery to put back stepping stones washed away by storms last summer.

However, the work, which has also involved cutting down several small trees, has sparked outrage from regular users of the path.

Jan Phillips, 80, who lives in Okehampton, said: ‘Why didn’t Dartmoor National Park at least wait until all the young of the frogs and toads had left the pools before they desecrated their habitat? Why didn’t they ask local people if they thought the work was necessary?

‘By their actions, they have distressed, angered and appalled many local people and visitors to this part of Devon. I have spoken to many of them, and they are all of the same opinion — it was an ill-judged decision.’

She added: ‘The rock pools were used by frogs, toads and newts to lay their spawn and so continue their life cycles. Local people did their part by filling the pools with river water when they were in danger of drying up. Indeed, I did this myself until I got too old to continue.’

Emma Smith, who lives and works in Okehampton, said: ‘I’ve got a young daughter and she loves coming here. We’ve been watching over the weeks, seeing those tadpoles become little frogs. Now they have killed all that wildlife. They have literally just filled it in overnight. It is disgusting.’

Mr Brooker defended the work carried out by contractors several weeks ago.

‘I’ve been accused of killing tadpoles and we certainly didn’t do that,’ he said. ‘The Friday before the work started I went up there with a bucket and a sieve and I removed every single tadpole I could find. I moved them up to pools up at Moor Brook.’

He added: ‘We delayed the work for as long as we possibly could but we needed to get the work done while the weather was dry.

‘Only a small section of five to six metres has been filled in. If you go on a bit further, though, there are still pools there, on the right hand side of the path.’

He added: ‘My only regret is that we didn’t put a sign up explaining what we were doing and why.’

He said that branches had been gathered up and left to provide a habitat for wildlife.