Foxes

The Red Fox is found throughout the whole of mainland UK in a wide range of habitats from moorland and woodland areas to urban and other suburban areas.

Whilst foxes can often cause a general nuisance to local residents (e.g. noise, fouling, digging gardens, tearing refuse bags etc.) rather than serious damage, they are not and have never been classed as 'vermin' and the Local Authority has no legal duty to deal with them.

Controlling urban foxes is difficult, expensive and often unsuccessful. There are numerous methods that can be employed to deter foxes to limit their population and therefore the nuisance they cause. It is worth noting that the law e.g. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 specifies how foxes can be dealt with. It is illegal to poison or gas foxes and snaring is tightly regulated.

If you require further help or advice in how to deal with the problem of foxes, please call the Fox Deterrence Hotline on 01892 826222 (http://www.foxproject.org.uk/). Although the Fox Project is a wildlife group they have a wealth of knowledge and expertise on fox deterrence. Advice provided will vary according to the time of year and will be specific to your own particular situation.