WILDLIFE campaigners were left scratching their heads after a mapping blunder showed the Elton lodge they fought for years to preserve had been obliterated by a road.

Nature lovers perusing the latest edition of a Manchester A-Z saw that their beloved Barracks Lodge had disappeared to make way for new homes.

Members of the Barracks Lodge Community Association, who recently raised £1,350 towards securing the lodge as a nature reserve, were puzzled.

The land was purchased after former owners Stately Developments, whose planning application for new homes at the site was refused, went into receivership.

However, where a reservoir between Newington Drive and Greenhill Road had been displayed in previous editions, the new map shows a street named Lodge Drive.

Mr Mike Wellock, chairman of the association and Newington Drive resident, said: "I was stunned and the neighbours couldn't believe it.

"Not only had the lodge disappeared, but also some of the houses. We were totally confused.

"I had to go around to check that the lodge was still there."

The Kent-based Geographers A-Z Map Company, who publish the street plans, were unable to trace the source of the error at the time of going to press.

He said: "We apologise to residents and will be altering future reprints of the edition.

"We always prefer people to let us know where there is a mistake."