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Residents are outraged after a fox was pictured in a cage on the grounds of the bowls club in Coundon.

A number of people have been left wanting answers to the 'horrifying' situation.

In the image which has raised concerns in the Coundon area , a fox can be seen 'trapped' in a cage in the grounds of the bowls club.

There have been many allegations on social media, that the people putting down the traps were then selling on the foxes once they had been trapped.

These allegations have been denied by Arthur Waugh, secretary at the bowls club on Gaveston Road.

Residents' concerns

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "My personal concern is that I have cats and so do many of the residents that live the other side of the entry where the live trap has been placed.

"Our domestic pets could get trapped in that cage.

"I'm going to be keeping them in every night until this issue has been resolved."

Another resident who lives nearby to the bowls club was left horrified by the picture.

He said: "I have concerns about the amount of local cats that had been going missing.

"I am horrified."

However the club secretary, Arthur Waugh, has said he has been trapping the foxes with no danger to their lives.

He spoke to us to tell his side of the story.

Arthur said: "A lot of lies are being told.

"The law of the land are on private land, you can trap foxes.

"The traps we use are in fact cages and they pose no danger to the foxes in any way.

"I love wildlife myself, so why would I kill them or sell them off to hunters.

"After reading up on the law, I now know how to deal with this properly."

The image was posted on the We Love Coundon Facebook page and had more than one and a half thousand shares and more than 500 comments.

Why did they put cages down?

The reason Arthur has given for putting the cages down in the first place, is that the foxes have been digging up the lawns.

He has also said if any cats are caught up in the cage, they will be let straight back out.

Arthur added: "The problem we have is that the foxes dig up the greens and get the worms.

"The holes they have dug are inches deep and it can put us out of business.

"We do not sell them, that is against my beliefs as I am a wildlife lover.

"We have not had a fox put down.

"The three we had caught had been released.

"Somebody has now broken in and stolen the cage.

"People have got to understand that we have to live as well as foxes, and we live as long as our business is open.

"I have had death threats and horrible phone calls.

"I am surprised at the lack of intelligence of some people believing what they see on Facebook."

RSPCA advice

The advice from the RSPCA is that foxes can be legally cage-trapped - as long as the person who has done so abides by the relevant legislation.

A spokesman said: "As far as legislation is concerned, foxes can be legally cage-trapped provided the person who has done so abides by relevant legislation and has the landowners permission. (The RSPCA's advice to anyone who feels they have an issue with foxes or other 'problem' animals would be to always to employ the services of a reputable pest controller as they should use good quality, legal traps and be very experienced.)

"There's no law that prohibits people from releasing a fox once trapped.

"However, doing so at a substantial distance from where they were trapped could compromise their welfare as they could lack shelter, or the ability to find food, or there may already be other foxes in the area which could cause them problems, so it must be done very carefully and after a great deal of research.

"With regards to "makeshift cages", any trap must meet legal standards as once any vertebrate species is caught in a trap, it becomes subject to the Animal Welfare Act and the individual setting the trap becomes responsible for its welfare.

"Not only does the trap need to be checked every day, the animal's needs must be met whilst inside the trap (including provision of food, water and shelter) and they must not be exposed to extremes of temperatures or the risk of flooding."

If you have concerns, you can visit the RSPCA fox advice page on their website.

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