Ananova:

A council spent £1million protecting rare newts on a building site - only to discover there were none there.

Leicestershire County Council delayed a major road-building scheme for three months after evidence of great crested newts was found on the site.

The species is protected by law, but after the authority paid hundreds of thousands of pounds for special newt-fencing and traps, not one of the rare creatures was discovered.

The action was taken on the strength of a report from environmental experts, which found there could have been between one and 10 of the 6in amphibians on the site.

Officials have lodged a complaint with the government, claiming the outlay would have a knock-on effect on local services, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Council leader David Parsons fumed: "I'm not happy that we have gone a million pounds over on the bypass and then found no great crested newts.

"It's completely unacceptable. I've written to the minister concerned, and all he can say to me is that it's because of European Union regulations."

The possible colony was found near the £15million Earl Shilton bypass in Leicester during surveys last summer.

Workers were even required to inspect the traps twice a day once temperatures rose above 41F (5C).

But Derek Needham, council engineering manager, confirmed: "We have caught a number of normal newts but no great crested newts."