A housing company has been fined for destroying a bat roost on a site it had planned to redevelop.

City and Westminster Developments Ltd, based in Kilburn Lane, London, pleaded guilty to destroying the resting place of a wild animal of a European protected species and was fined £4,500.

The firm purchased properties on Great North Way and paid for an ecological survey to be conducted before the redevelopment started.

The ecologist reported there was a high probability of roosting Common Pipistrelle bats on the site - at which point the firm asked the ecologist to manipulate the result - which the ecologist refused to do.

Following a second survey from another company that reached the same conclusion, the company instructed a demolition firm to demolish one of the buildings, which destroyed a legally-protected bat roost.

Sarah Bailey, Detective Constable of the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “In Britain and Europe all species of bats are protected in law, however the number of bats in London is declining.

“This is mainly because many of their traditional roosting and foraging sites are being destroyed by land and building developments, as well as home improvements such as loft conversions and timber treatments.

“If homeowners or developers are planning to do any work on buildings they should first check whether bats are present as some can roost in the smallest crevices.”