Angry residents of Ferry Reach failed to prevent a "significant" cave from being filled in and possibly destroyed yesterday, despite a heated stand-off with an excavating company.

And on discovering the company's action, Environment Ministry officials intervened in the afternoon and will try to have the cave uncovered this morning to assess the damage,was told.

Nine property owners from Anchorage View Lane, in Ferry Reach, St. George's, tried to halt the digging yesterday when it began ? against the recommendation of a Government environmental officer that the caves on the site be surveyed, at the developer's expense, before any work on the proposed development took place.

"We went down to talk to the guys there," spokesman for the residents Gerald Davis said.

"Paul Rodrigues (of Rodriques Trucking and Excavating) was there. He said that he had been told to come and clear the property."

When residents told him about the cave entrance, Mr. Rodrigues reportedly said that the caves were not his concern and he just was doing his job.

The digging proceeded to the fury and dismay of the residents.

The residents had moved earlier to protect the caves on Sunday when excavators arrived.

"They had the audacity to come down on a Sunday morning to excavate. I had to go down there and stop them myself," Mr. Davis said.

In addition to the cave, Cedar trees and palmetto palms were also destroyed during the digging and an animal refuge destroyed, he added.

"It was like a Bluebird sanctuary," he said.

Powerless to stop the might of the machines, the residents had to stand by and watch the bulldozers cover up the cave entrance.

Opposition Senate Leader Kim Swan said yesterday that it was a "travesty" that the cave had not been better protected.

"I feel for the residents," he said. "They did everything correctly. They were trying to find out what was going on. There is a serious amount of ambiguity around the land use."

Sen. Swan said his immediate impression was that there was a "rush to push this thing along".

He said: "Had Mr. Davis not been able to persuade the workers not to cover the entrance on Sunday, then there would have been no evidence that the residents had a legitimate claim."

Sen. Swan said he became concerned after members of the public began to phone him saying the vacant lot between Anchorage View Lane and the Shell Fuel Station, in Ferry Reach, was going to be excavated.

"They circulated a petition," Sen. Swan said, in an attempt to find out what was going on. was given a copy of the petition, dated June 23, 2004, and resident ? and former Cabinet Minister ? Renee Webb's signature tops the list of the petition, followed by another 11 signatories. Ms Webb lives next door to Mr. Davis.

"Somebody has got to stop them," Mr. Davis said but despite his group's best efforts it may now be too late for the cave as a full day of earth shifting work has now concealed the cave's entrance.

The entire incident might have been avoided.

According to a letter given to by the protestors, a Government environmental officer recommended that the cave be protected some two months ago.

Environmental Protection Hydrogeologist Mark Rowe wrote to Director of Planning Rudolph Hollis on July 16 saying that he had visited the cave and it, and others in the area, should be examined prior to any development.

Copies of the letter were sent to Dr. Tom Sleeter, Director of Environmental Protection, and Mr. Davis.

Mr. Rowe wrote the letter in reference to the original application to build a cement silo on Ferry Road from the Bermuda Cement Company ? S0056/04.

Mr. Rowe said he had visited the site with Mr. Davis, and another neighbour, and believed the caves to be significant and the fact they did not appear on area maps was "an omission" which should be corrected.

"The cave we visited is significant and requires protection from excavation," Mr. Rowe wrote. "It, and any other caves in the area which can be identified, should be professionally surveyed at the developer's expense in order to determine how the land might best be used without destroying the caves.

"These caves are well known to residents of that immediate area. The fact that they do not appear on a map is an omission, not due to the caves being inconsequential, but simply due to the fact that their existence was not widely known."

Why this recommendation was not followed is unclear.

Yesterday, Mr. Rowe referred all questions with regard to the cave to the Planning Department.

But Acting Director of Planning Larry Williams refused to comment yesterday saying he was "quite busy".

Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield could not be reached yesterday or on Sunday for a comment on the development.

Confusion also seems to surround what will actually be built on the site.

In May 31, 2004, the original application ? S0056/04 ? made to the Planning Department by Bermuda Cement Company Limited was to build "seven additional lots" at 16 Ferry Road, St. George's.

However, this application was withdrawn.

Jim Butterfield of the Bermuda Cement Company said they were going to use the land for a cement silo. But three weeks ago, a deal to sell the land to Tiqyah Holdings was completed instead.

Mr. Butterfield said he spoke to the Director of Conservation Services, Jack Ward, before selling the property.

Mr. Ward told him there were no "significant caves on the site" but admitted that he never actually visited the area, Mr. Butterfield said.

"I looked at maps," Mr. Ward said of the conversation with Mr. Butterfield. "The hillside does not look to be an old formation, but a bit of the Walsingham formation seems to underlie it. I told Mr. Butterfield it did not look like significant caves were in the area."

If there are significant caves there, however, Mr. Ward added, they should be given "the highest level of protection".

On July 28, however, Tiqyah Holdings made another Planning application for the same land ? P0765/04 ? to build ten warehouse units.

The building permit number displayed on site ? B06/1804 ? authorises "the site preparation for a proposed storage facility", the Planning Department said.

What will be stored is not specified.

Mr. Davis only saw these plans at 7 a.m. yesterday morning.

"They say there are no silos, but they have a huge circular silo on the plan," he said.

Tiqyah Holdings spokesman Steven Daniels refused to comment on the development and would not disclose what will be housed on the site if it proceeds.

There is some hope for the cave yet, however. Mr. Davis told last night that Ministry of Environment officials visited the site late yesterday afternoon.

Tiqyah Properties were told to uncover the entry to the cave so that it could be inspected, he said.

Crews were to try and find the buried entrance this morning in an effort to assess whether the cave can be saved.