WILDLIFE trust chiefs could abandon a Frinton nature reserve if councillors push to have the site tidied up.

The Spinney, a wildlife area near Frinton railway station, is owned by Frinton and Walton Town Council and leased to Essex Wildlife Trust to manage.

Mayor Iris Johnson met with trust boss John Hall to discuss cleaning the site up to make it more accessible to people.

Mrs Johnson said: “We want something to happen there because it is an extremely untidy site at the moment.

“For the most part the trust wants to keep it natural, as it currently is, so it acts as the best possible nature reserve for creatures.

“But we need to strike a balance. It is a nice natural habitat for wildlife, it just needs a tidy up and a bit more management to make it look a little nicer and allow people to enjoy it too.”

Essex Wildlife Trust plans to discuss alternate options for the future of the site before coming back to the council.

And the trust could walk away from the site completely if it is not happy with the direction the town council wants to take.

A wildlife trust spokesman said: “It is important to explain the wildlife value of this nature reserve, so that those arriving or leaving from the station appreciate the reserve’s value and don’t think of it as a scruffy area which has no value.

“It does have great value and those that know are proud of having a small wildlife oasis in the town."