Brush with danger as foxes enter homes

Published on Wednesday 19 July 2006 11:34

FOXES are sneaking into homes in the Capital in an increasingly desperate search for food after bin bags were taken off the streets.

The sightings come as new council figures show complaints about foxes have soared by more than a quarter.

Householders in west Edinburgh claim daring urban foxes are slipping into homes through patio doors to scavenge for food.

The Murrayfield residents are concerned the foxes might attack children and are lobbying the council to take action.

It is believed that foxes are finding it more and more difficult to get food because black bin bags are being replaced with wheelie bins, which the animals find it hard to get into for scraps.

Complaints about foxes have risen by nearly 26 per cent over the last four months, compared to the same period last year.

The council recorded 98 complaints all over the city from April 1 till mid-July 2006, compared to 78 in the same period of 2005.

In summer 2004, an elderly woman was bitten by a fox when she went into her garden late at night to feed her pet in the Firrhill area.

Murrayfield councillor Jeremy Balfour is leading the campaign to get the council to take action.

He said: "Local residents have told me on two or three occasions that foxes have walked in through open French windows and left faeces. A number of people are concerned about the danger from foxes to young children if they are left outside unsupervised on a hot day.

"We have so many foxes in Edinburgh and something needs to be done to protect people."

Councillor Balfour said he would be asking the council for a policy review after learning that current policy was to leave it to householders to take individual action, such as building a fence.

Murrayfield Community Council has also received a letter from local residents "increasingly concerned by the threat posed by foxes".

The residents said they had contacted the council, and were advised they were legally entitled to erect an electric fence around their property, or to employ a private agency to remove foxes.

Milton Park, chairman of Corstorphine Community Council, said foxes used to scavenge for food in bin bags, but now needed to go to greater lengths.

He said: "It was brought up at a meeting and it seems the council does not have a clear policy in that direction.

"The main trouble has been that with the introduction of wheelie bins, foxes are becoming bolder."

The Scottish SPCA said many foxes had ended up in towns because of housing developments encroaching on their habitat.

A spokeswoman

said: "There has been concern about foxes attacking cats, but it is rare because they tend to be scavengers not hunters.

"Murrayfield and Corstorphine have quite a healthy fox population. Traditionally they would raid bin bags but they are frightened of humans and it is rare that they would go into people's homes.

"People should make sure they are not dumping food on the ground. Tidying up our act will reduce the number of foxes and seagulls."

Councillor Sheila Gilmore, council community safety and housing leader, said: "Our officers advise callers that they should not leave food out for the foxes as there are plenty of other food sources available to them, such as worms and garden insects. We recommend that people let the animals be and do not approach or antagonise them in any way.

"If members of the public require advice on deterring foxes from their garden, we would advise them to contact our pest control team on 0131-529 3030."