Work has begun at an Aberdeenshire beauty spot to clean up a “clogged” pond which is home to many species of wildlife.
A digger rolled into Haughton Country Park in Alford yesterday after concerns about its appearance were flagged to Aberdeenshire Council.
The local authority has appointed a contractor to remove some of the soil and other material which has gathered in the water.
A spokeswoman from the Friends of Haughton Park said: “The removed material will sit for a couple of days to dry out and let all the wee critters escape and then it will be removed.
“This follows discussions with the countryside ranger and, under her guidance, only one-third of the pond will be cleaned this year so as not to disturb too many of its inhabitants.”
Aberdeenshire Council plans to complete another one-third of the work in 2021, and the final third the following year.
The spokeswoman added: “It’s great to see this work being carried out after so many people raised this as a concern.”
