MARINE experts have warned that a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film could spell disaster for wild turtles.

Staff at the Weymouth Sea Life Park fear that film fans may be inspired to buy the creatures as pets and then dump them when the novelty wears off.

Displays manager Fiona Smith said: “Our Turtle Sanctuary was set up partly to provide a refuge for pet turtles bought at the height of the Ninja Turtle craze, which their owners could no longer cope with.

“It’s full to bursting and we still get requests to take more on a fairly regular basis.”

The original movie and TV series sparked a craze for owning turtles that later resulted in thousands being dumped in lakes and rivers.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started out as a comic book before exploding in popularity when a film was released in 1990.

The tales followed the exploits of mutant turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michaelangelo as they battled criminals, arch villains and aliens from their home in the storm sewers of New York.

The Sea Life Centre’s plea comes after a casting call was issued for martial artists to audition for a planned 2011 remake of the 1990 movie.

Fiona said: “The new film could spark fresh demand for pet turtles and terrapins which could place extra pressure on wild populations that are already under threat.

“Many Asian species have been pushed to the brink of extinction by both the food and pet trades, and now many of the North American species are also in decline.”

Turtles abandoned in the British countryside pose a threat to native marine life such as crayfish.

Many terrapins can also survive in saltwater, where they feast on crabs and shellfish although the British climate has so far prevented them from breeding.

Fiona added that the SeaLife Park would launch a new campaign when the film comes out to deter children from buying turtles as pets.