Animal lover’s anger at badger poison bid in Sidmouth

An ‘absolutely horrendous’ attempt to poison badgers in a scenic Sidmouth spot is being investigated by the police.

Dog walker Chrissie Wilcox visits the goyle linking Manor Road and Glen Road most days, but on Sunday she knew something was wrong – chemicals had been sprayed on an active sett in broad daylight.

It had also been blocked in with earth, so she dug away to give the nocturnal animals an escape route, fearing it was too late.

Chrissie said: “The stench of chemicals was horrendous. Straight away I could see someone had filled in the hole. Anything down there was going to suffocate.

“I got down and used my hands to dig it out. I wasn’t worried about the chemicals. I’m an animal lover - 100 per cent.”

The Manstone Avenue resident said she had previously intervened when someone had placed paving slabs over the entrances to the badger sett.

She believes the perpetrator is putting the look of the gardens in the area ahead of animal welfare.

“It’s dreadful. It’s bad enough what’s going on with the cull [intended to prevent spread of bovine tuberculosis],” said Chrissie. “Badgers should be left well alone.”

She tried to contact Sharon Howe, a Sidmouth resident and member of Exeter Friends for Animals, who told the Herald: “The cull is encouraging a war against badgers. It’s a free-for-all. It’s totally unjustified, cruel and inhumane. They’re a protected species, but people don’t seem to care any more.”

A police spokesman confirmed that the incident had been reported and a wildlife crime officer would discuss the matter with Natural England.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101@dc.police.uk, quoting log number 477 for the September 26.