A POND at the centre of a public nature reserve could be closed because alien predators are being dumped in its waters.

The unlikely predators, now voraciously munching their way through the insect life of the Teesside pond, are a pair of terrapins.

However, of far worse long-lasting harm is the dumping of pond weed, which has damaged Billingham Beck Country Park pond beyond repair.

Wardens now warn that unless people stop stealing frogs, toads and tadpoles from the wildlife reserve, and dumping their unwanted flora and fauna, it could be closed to visitors to protect animal, insect and plant life.

The country park is an important outdoor classroom, as well as a thriving water, woodland and grassland habitat.

As water habitats are destroyed, the Billingham pond becomes more important as a refuge, but is now under threat from well-meaning people who introduce alien life.

Terrapins are not natural inhabitants of British ponds and are eating other species, such as the rare dragonfly and smaller damsel fly larvae.

Under UK and European law the countryside wardens are expected to protect the two water flies.

Head countryside warden David Askey said people were not maliciously dumping their unwanted aquarium and garden life into the pond.

The problem arose out of ignorance of the serious consequences.

He said: "I'm afraid, if this continues then we might consider closing the pond in the future.

"But that's the last thing we want to do, because we have an educational role to play, both for schools and the community, and people are very interested.

"However, too many people think they are doing us a favour by getting rid of their unwanted terrapins or fish into our pond.

"The terrapins eat the damsel fly and dragonfly, which we must protect under the Government's bio-diversity policy.

"The man who dumped Canadian pond weed has damaged the pond forever. It chokes the water and we and volunteers spend weeks clearing it.

"Those who remove the tadpoles and frogs for their children are also endangering the health of the pond. It can't sustain such losses."

The park has also had a problem with vandalism, with the sensory garden for blind people suffering regular damage.