St Mellion International need every minute to construct the new hotel and put plans in place to stage next year's European Open on the European Tour.

So there was both annoyance and amusement when a roosting bat temporarily halted the £100 million redevelopment project.

A giant crane was hoisted up at a golf course to remove one tiny pipistrelle bat from the crevice in the roof of the main hotel.

It was a delicate operation by the company licensed to carry out such work as the creature was moved to a new bat box.

Apparently around 40 other bats had also used the hotel roof as a home but have since moved on.

Project manager Barry Aspinall said: "We've had 40 bat boxes made and they are now in place, ready to accommodate not only the little pipistrelle but hopefully more of its friends."

Bats are a protected species so the development has been planned so as not to cause too much disturbance for the miniscule creatures.

10:29am Wednesday 30th April 2008

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