The Environment Department confirmed on Friday that works have been carried out with heavy vehicles on the beach of Pyrgos in Limassol, resulting in extensive impact on the sand dunes of the area.

It added that two separate inspections of the beach were carried out after environmental organisations reported illegal and arbitrary intervention.

The Environment and Forestry departments said the area was within the protected zone and hosted sand dune ecosystems.

The beach has been proposed to be declared a national forest and is just days away from approval.

The district authorities have been notified about the works, which the Environment Department said must end immediately and a plan for the area to be restored to its former state must be submitted.

The Environment Department said it was following the situation closely so that the illegal intervention ceased immediately and the ecosystem of the beach was restored.

On the other hand, the Forestry Department said the flora of the area did not come under the provisions of the law on forests and thus there was no illegality concerning forest legislation.