FROGS and toads making their way to their old spawning waters at Buckmore Farm beside the A3, A272 junction in Petersfield are having a terrible time - some of their routes now lie across a road.

Last year when McDonaldÕs was building on the site frogs and crayfish were found. Workmen carried bucket loads of frogs away from the building area to the untouched land but no one realised that the access road would cut across a migration route.

However, the big businesses on the site are trying to do something about the problem now they know it exists.

ÒWe are very concerned to learn about the plight of the frogs and toads near our restaurant at Petersfield,Ó said Victoria Hague for McDonaldÕs Restaurants.

ÒWe have been in touch with local wildlife volunteers and are working with them to help ease the situation.

ÒWe have offered to contribute towards special fencing and hope to get our staff involved as volunteers to help erect the fence.Ó

A spokesman for BP, which is building a filling station on the site, told The Herald: ÒAs with all of our new retail developments, we have taken advice from all relevant authorities to ensure our plans do not have a negative impact on the natural surroundings.

ÒWe are seeking additional advice from members of the local community to identify any extra measures that need to be taken to protect the local habitat.Ó

The unusually warm rainy weather earlier in the month started the frogs and toads on their traditional migration far sooner than usual.

Joanne Hetherington works at Compassion in World Farming in Charles Street. She lives opposite Buckmore Farm and was horrified to realise one evening that there were a large number of amphibians on the road leading to McDonaldÕs.

ÒThey were very difficult to see. Some were squashed by traffic, others were getting stuck down drains and some were just totally lost,Ó she said.

Joanne called in reinforcements to organise toad and frog patrols in the evenings to make sure as many as possible were carried across, and rescuing those that had fallen down road drains.

Environmentalist Julia Connor, who lives at Froxfield, was among those who came to help.

ÒIt is very encouraging to know that McDonaldÕs are prepared to contribute towards a fence keeping the animals off the road and guiding them to the stream which crosses under the road. This would give them the opportunity to reach their spawning grounds. We would also like to see some road drain rescue systems installed,Ó she said.

ÒWe hope that eventually a new pond will be built as there must have been one in the area at some time. We shall be trying to see that this yearÕs migration goes ahead as smoothly as possible.Ó