Efforts by an environmentally-conscious Pembroke family to attract more birds to their private island have backfired after they mistakenly cut down some trees without planning permission.

Gill Gray apologised to neighbours and the planning department for any ill-feeling there might be as a result of her cutting down casuarinas and Brazillian peppers on Stipple Island.

Mrs. Gray, who lives at adjoining Anchor Lee at Point Shares, discussed her plans to introduce boxes for longtails with Government Conservation Officer Jeremy Madeiros and she was under the impression that he had given permission to go ahead and cut down the trees.

She intended to replace them with indigenous Bermuda species, such as cedar and palmetto, to encourage more birds to the uninhabited island.

But Mrs. Gray said she felt awful when last week following a complaint from a neighbour, the Planning Department ordered her gardeners to stop work on the site and adjoining Goat Island because they are classified as nature reserve and require planning permission to cut the trees.

"I don't want to create any ill-feeling because we are very, very sensitive about people's feelings and I feel really awful if anyone is terribly upset and hurt by what we have done and thinks we are acting irresponsibly," she said yesterday.

"I discussed these things with Mr. Madeiros and confirmed in a letter that we wanted to install the birds nests on the island and confirmed we would be removing the casuarinas and replacing them with indigenous materials.

"I never realised I needed planning permission and because I hadn't heard from him, I assumed he agreed with cutting down the casuarinas. It was my mistake to assume that and that is how this misunderstanding came about.

"I feel absolutely awful about it and I expressed my deep apologies to planning officer Nicky Gurrett and the planning department for the dreadful error I made."

Mrs. Gray said she has now began a woodland management scheme on the island in line with Planning Department recommendations.

Ms. Gurrett said yesterday: "I believe she thought she had permission and had gone the right way about it.

"The gardeners were under the impression they had permission from the Conservation Officer. Mrs. Gray called me and she unfortunately thought she had permission from Mr. Madeiros.

"She had consulted him about a bridge to the Island but she decided she was not going to do that. She wrote to him about the tree and had a letter confirming their discussion."