A dog caused ’significant’ damage to an ancient monument site when its owner rescued it after it got stuck in a rabbit hole.

Now Manx National Heritage has appealed to the public to support it in its care of ancient monument sites.

The dog got trapped at Fort Island, located to the east of Derbyhaven Bay.

An MNH spokesman said the organisation understood the motivation of the owner and the need to safely recover their dog.

But it asked people to notify MNH when such incidents or damage occurs on its land.

The damage was repaired ’as far as is possible’ by MNH’s maintenance team under the guidance of inspector of ancient monuments, Andy Johnson, who said: ’The legal status of Fort Island as an ancient monument makes it illegal to damage it in any way, while by-laws mean that wildlife should not be disturbed.’

He said damage at national heritage sites is ’a relatively rare occurrence, but the impact can be significant’, adding: ’The location of the dog rescue is, unfortunately, very close to the earthen fort/gun emplacement created on the orders of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby as part of his modernisation of fortifications on the Isle of Man during the 1640s.

’This feature is not formally or visibly defined on the ground but a curious eye may spot subtle differences in the levels of the banks.

He added: ’We appreciate that many people may not be aware of the significance of these sites and would not necessarily realise that they are potentially damaging a very precious piece of our island’s history.’

He added that MNH was grateful to the member of the public who alerted it to the damage.