WILDLIFE enthusiasts say development officials have signed the death warrant on a bird sanctuary near Catterick Garrison after a planning appeal failed.

Neil and Juliana Fowler, who set up the Scotton Owl and Raptor Rehabilitation centre in their garden at Falcon Close, Scotton, in 1998, say the ruling means they will have to close and destroy some of the birds of prey.

Richmondshire District Council refused a retrospective planning application for the centre in November last year, leading to an appeal by Mr and Mrs Fowler.

Government inspector Richard Mordey visited the sanctuary in Falcon Close in May and this week dismissed the appeal.

He concluded that the centre was well managed and the birds well cared for but found the operation was ill-fitted to a residential housing area.

Complaints from local people about noise and disturbance were justified, he said, adding that "the presence of such large birds of prey in a residential area could give rise to fear and apprehension, which is a material planning consideration."

Mr Fowler said the sanctuary would now have to close. "This will result in some birds having to be painlessly put down, as we have been trying for several months to re-home them but nobody wants special needs birds that are no good for breeding, public display or handling," he said.

Since setting up the centre, the couple had released more than 50 birds into the wild and re-homed 17 non-indigenous birds with responsible keepers.

In 2003, the centre was granted charitable status and more than 90pc of its funding came from the Fowlers' own pockets.

Some complaints concerned visitors to the centre, which is not open to the public. Mr Fowler said closing the sanctuary would not lead to fewer visitors, as family and friends would continue to call.