After yet another sleepless night, I felt compelled this morning to write my blog. I am a firm animal lover and I cannot abide cruelty to any animal of any kind. However, I am now at the end of my tether with one of God’s creatures, yes the one and only “Mr Foxy Loxy”.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am pleased that fox hunting has become a thing of the past as I do think that chasing any creature for sport, just so Tarquin and Jeremiah can be “bloodied” is wrong. I do however see what a nuisance they can cause to farmers harming their sheep and chickens so I do understand there needs to be some control.

Anyway I digress, the point of my blog is to see if any of you have the same trouble as me with Mr and Mrs Fox, Teenager Fox, Toddler Fox and Baby Fox, and all their neighbours! Funnily enough they are nowhere near as polite as Basil Brush!

Now back in the day before wheelie bins, I had terrible trouble, you would leave out a bag of rubbish and you could bet your bottom dollar come the morning the bag would be opened and rubbish everywhere so half an hour would have to be spent clearing it up. We therefore purchased a bin, which was fine, until Mr Fox learnt how to take the top off! Then bricks were put on lid to stop him getting in and this worked.

Then we got the advent of the wheelie bin, and now this really peeved the Fox family, so much so they took to screaming and screeching by the bins as they could not get their “daily bread”. They needn’t have worried for too long though, as the lady who lives across from me has decided it acceptable to leave food out for them, which is all fine and well, but God forbid if she is away or forgets, again we have the wailing and screeching. They have dug up my neighbour's front lawn so many times it is now a running joke.

Each night (and actually now during the day) they come trotting down the lane, and go wherever they please and scavenge whatever they can. This wouldn’t be too bad, but they do make this awful noise. Now in the “Bell” household is a little four legged furry thing. She is a Jack Russell Terrier and she is a brilliant little dog and not a fuss, but one thing she does, as obviously a member of a pack, her instinct is to protect her pack, her pack being The Current Mr Bell and Myself. So come midnight, the fun begins………… Fox comes down lane, jumps into our garden, dog jumps up barking furiously to scare off fox, fox screams out, Mrs Fox and the kiddies come as back up, full scale furore starts, until the Current Mr Bell or I get up and call in the dog. Last night this happened, at least 3 or 4 times………… I’ve had it!

I know it will get easier as winter approaches, but come spring they will be at it again, have you heard the sound of foxes mating? My sister once called the police when she lived in Blackheath as she was convinced that some poor lady was being attacked near her garages - nope it is was just foxes!

Now as I said I am a humane person and I would not wish harm on any animal, so does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of these darling creatures or at least stop them coming into my garden?

Any help would be much appreciated From a very tired Tinks X