Petition to stop fox 'cull' in London

Thousands of people in London have signed a petition to prevent a 'cull' of the city's foxes.

Pest controllers say they will kill hundreds of the animals as the streets are lined with post-Christmas and New Year leftovers, and many residents see them as a pest.

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There are around 10,000 foxes living in London, which is around third of the UK's total urban fox population.

A pest controller, Tom Keightley, told the Evening Standard how he will be paid to shoot and exterminate the foxes in the New Year.

A Londoner called Patrick Short, a member of the Labour Animal Rights group, set up the petition on Tuesday and is pleading with mayor Sadiq Khan to stop the cull.

According to the Metro, he said: "Killing the foxes seems unnecessarily cruel and useless when, according to the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's website, "The territory of a culled fox will be quickly reoccupied by another fox".

"To continue to allow the culling of London foxes is not a long term, humane or cost-effective solution to the problem whatsoever."

The Standard reports that he added:"After Boxing Day hunts this cull is another kick in the teeth for fox lovers.

"We're not happy about persecuting foxes in the countryside and now we're told their persecuting them in the city as well."

He said councils could do more to help clear rubbish, and that milder measures could be introduced to control the foxes, like locked dustbins, animal repellant and prickly fences.

You can sign the petition here.

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