Hilbre Island - Wirral's wildlife haven off the west coast of the peninsula - is to be without a live-in custodian following difficulty finding a ranger prepared to tolerate living there without mains electricity or running water.

Hilbre - part of the Dee Estuary Grade I Site of Special Scientific Interest - has been without a ranger for the past 12 months since the departure of former incumbent Dave Cavanagh.

Councillor David Elderton, Wirral Council cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: "We are finding it very difficult finding someone who will live there, cut off from the mainland half the time - unless they have some sort of hermit mentality."

Because of this, he said the council was having to change the way it monitored and managed the area.

"As many of the regular visitors to Hilbre know there has not been a ranger permanently based on the island for the last year.

"During this time, cover has been provided by the council's Ranger Service working closely with the Friends of Hilbre whose 150 or so members do a really good job of helping to maintain the character of the islands.

"Additional cover has been provided by our Beach Lifeguard Service and members of Hilbre Bird Observatory.

"We will be appointing a new contractor to maintain and protect Hilbre as part of our wider plan to improve the way in which all parks, open spaces and countryside areas are looked at.

"In the meantime, and in order to ensure continued good management of all our coastal area, a new coastal ranger team - based at Thurstaston Visitor Centre - has been set up to look after Hilbre Islands, North Wirral Country Park and Wirral's beaches and foreshore."

The islands, which include Hilbre, Little Eye and Middle Eye, attract thousands of tourists as well as arouond 200 species of wading birds. A large colony of seals also lives on the islands.

They are a wetland of international importance, a Special Protection Area, a Special Area of Conservation and a Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Site.

There have been settlements there possibly since the Stone Age.

Nowadays, there are a handful of priovately-owned bungalows and until recently the island's ranger lived in the former telegraph keeper's house.

Wirral Council became custodian of the islands when the authority was formed in 1974.