Squatters appear to be living in the former eco-resort at Daniel?s Head Village, enjoying tranquil ocean views and bedroom furniture left behind by owners of the former environmentally friendly resort.

The resort, which once offered an environmentally friendly place to stay for visitors, and was the subject of a BBC travel series, may now be offering accommodation to people left in the lurch by the Island?s affordable housing crunch.

Yesterday, investigated the more than two dozen of the 100 tented eco- cottages located in Somerset to discover clothing, bed sheets, human excrement, traces of cannabis joints, shoes and bath sponges.

The former Canadian Navy complex in Sandys has been closed since April, 2002 when its owners, San Diego-based developers Excel Legacy, went into liquidation.

Most of the cottages have been left fully intact even after hurricane Fabian swept through the Island last September. Only a handful have both the front and patio doors locked.

The furniture remains in most of the rooms and books about Bermuda have been left lying on the table. One of the cottages even had its front door ripped off the hinges.

Beach-goers told this week they had not seen anyone in the cottages. Beach-goers in Somerset have access to a public beach located inside the land.

A security guard said the land is owned by a private company. He said guards operate a 24 hour presence on the property and have had problems in the past with children using the cottages to smoke and drink. He said he was not aware of people living in the eco cottages.

Bermuda Police Service spokesman Robin Simmons declined to comment when contacted yesterday.

This April, a new company, IRC-Sandys Limited, applied this month to be incorporated to lease the site from landlords Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC) and run it as a tourist operation.

The people behind the new company could not be contacted for comment yesterday. Lawyers for the company, Mello, Jones & Martin did not return calls.

According to a legal notice, the people behind the company are the trustees of the ADD Family Trust and the trustees of the Thomas H. and Ann A. Childers Family Trust.

The trustee of the ADD Family Trust is named as the Fiduciary Partners Trust Company. Catherine Evans Urban, Ann A. Childers and John N. Childers are listed as trustees of the second trust.