South East

Some people see them as a welcome chance to watch wildlife in their own back gardens and will leave food out to encourage the foxes to visit.

Others, like Rebecca Mather, believe people should stop feeding them.

Rebecca’s rabbit was attacked and killed by a fox which got into its run in her garden.

Method of control 1

It’s estimated that there are tens of thousands of foxes in the UK, and if they’re causing you problems there are people you can call for help.

Tom Keightley will get rid of your foxes for you… He’s shot thousands of them.

"Some people regard a fox as a pet. Referring to its as Mr and Mrs Fox.

"In actual fact it’s a wild animal and it’s a pest. And it’s my job to deal with that pest."

He’s based in Hailsham in East Sussex and gets around half a dozen calls a week about urban foxes.

Tom says that shooting is the kindest way of killing foxes.

"It’s over and done in a flash, it’s an instant death, there’s no pain involved. And it removes that fox permanently. 

"By trapping them live you’re left with a few choices. You’re not going to kill them, you’re going to release them, where do you do that?"

Method of control 2

John Bryant, a pest controller from Kent takes a different approach.

He says that killing foxes is futile and that it’s easier and more humane to find ways to persuade the fox to go elsewhere.

"They're not coming into the garden and digging a hole in the lawn to annoy you.

"They’re coming because they’re looking for food.

"And once people are beginning to understand, I find that they get a lot more tolerant.

"And when they get a lot more tolerant they get more compassionate.

"And there can’t be anything wrong with compassion."

Your comments

Tom Keightley, the man who controls foxes by shooting them, replies to your comments:

Controlling foxes by shooting is legal and humane. I don't hear anybody jumping to the rescue of cockroaches, rats, wasps or flies and yet they have the same rights as any animal. No one complains about the sale of rodenticides or insecticides to the public who have no training to use such chemicals. 

I never shoot foxes during the breeding season unless I can be absolutely sure of the whereabouts of the cubs. The fox dies instantly, unlike rats or mice or even cockroaches which can take days to die, where is the bleating now? How many of you who disapprove of my methods are willing to have their home treated against woodworm? I have been shooting foxes for a very long time and know and do my job well and with pride, where as none of you who disagree have any idea what's involved, nor are you interested, preferring to complain about everything YOU don't like. What will you do when you have a pest problem?

As for the other method of fox control where he encourages foxes to move on, where to? Is it not cruel to keep pushing theses creature around just to make you feel better about yourselves? Would you allow your children to go to school with head lice? I doubt it, and yet these are just looking for a way to get by for food.  As usual you never think things through. 

I do not hate foxes nor do hate any other animal, there are foxes in my garden which I have no interest in shooting, but my nearest neighbour regularly asks me to shoot the foxes on their land.  For those of you who are not aware of the concept it is called "balance".

Tom Keightley

Letting the foxes go is cruel - there are too many of them. He brings them out to the countryside let's them go and then there are too many for the territory so they starve get ill. It is much better to kill them on the spot.

Eve

I've just watched the shooting of the fox on BBC One and am disgusted. Bad enough this man is allowed to go around shooting defenceless animals but to show it on TV is appalling. I am of the understanding that foxhunting is illegal in this country, I wasn't aware that shooting a wild animal is legal. I am very angry this was shown.

Linda Brown, Northfleet

What were the BBC thinking showing the shooting of a fox on the TV before the 9pm watershed? And then the gentlemen who shot it said he enjoyed his job! I've totally lost any respect or affection that I held for Kaddy Lee-Preston after her reaction. Why was it necessary to show the kill? It was totally unnecessary.

I know my email will be a drip in the ocean - but I want it to add up to what I hope will be a flood of emails for the BBC's lack of sensitivity and stupidity in showing this.

Ros Ramsey

Shooting foxes is a barbaric waste of time and money. Mr Keightley and his sort are conning their customers, foxes will keep coming, and he'll be paid again and again.

Mike, Folkestone

I am absolutely disgusted at the approach taken by Tom Keightly in tonight’s show, I would like to know where I can make a formal complaint regarding his unnecessary slaughter of these wild animals, it is apparent he is a gun ho lunatic who has no argument for taking this approach given the statistics quoted by John Bryant. I think toms approach should be formally investigated by the authorities.

C Ripley, Maidstone

Just seen "tom" kill a fox and say he enjoyed it. What a sick person (that's being polite!). Well done to the man who looks after them when they are injured.

Lisa, Margate

I have just watched your show on urban foxes and I can not believe that Mr Keightley has a licence to go fox hunting because that is what he does... leaving bait down for the foxes so he can shoot them, maybe someone should shoot him in the leg with one of his bullets to see how it feels... foxes are opportunist animals and will always go for an easy meal so if we keep on feeding them and making it easy for them then they will rummage in our bins and possibly kill your pet rabbit...but that is all natural to them...I agree that to scare them off and relocate them is much better...and humane I also think that showing a fox being shot on TV at tea-time was also insensitive as many children could have been watching the programme and it came across as fox hunting is ok but which in fact is banned.. . And against the law. I hope he gets arrested now!

Carl Fitch, Deal

Shooting foxes is terrible and should be banned, I believe it is just another example of humans playing god - I cannot see why foxes and other animals have less right to be here than we do. Like so many other animals and birds, foxes have had to adapt to the environment around them, because we have taken so much of their natural habitat to build on! I personally think they are a joy to see in the garden.

Kate, Eastbourne

My husband and I were outraged! Foxes have as much right to be on this planet as everyone else, there homes are being destroyed by the human race so what choice do they have, they have to eat and survive as best they can, I think he should be stopped, what right does he have and he say's he enjoys doing it, he is a wicked person! If people put there rubbish away then the fox will be gone as quick as he arrived as he has found nothing. A defenceless animal is being lured to its death, if he enjoys shooting so much I suggest he signs up to a shooting range and leave these beautiful animals alone. What does this say to our children watching this?

Mr and Mrs Westgate, Crawley

I am emailing having just watched the episode of Inside Out on the 14 January. I was shocked and horrified at what I saw. I was appalled at the sight of seeing a fox being shot and believed it was highly inappropriate to be shown at that time of the day when younger sister and myself were watching it. I am also disappointed in believing this program or the BBC would support this disgusting way in which this man is making his money and do not believe that his business should have been advertised and supported on the TV in the way it was. Cruelty to animals should not be accepted under any circumstances pests or not they are still animals that have a right to live.

Bethany Ross

Yes! Foxes are vermin in a human environment. Fact. I suspect you will receive thousands of complaints about the video of Mr Keightley's perceived enjoyment of killing the things, but I for one am completely on his side. To Mr Bryant on the other hand, I would say, "I don't care if they're looking for food!” Seven of my sister's 10 hens were attacked by a fox in their "safe" enclosure - he took one, killed the rest "for fun". That is what foxes do... Compassion? As much as I have for mosquitoes, rats & cockroaches.

Lucy Bennet, Tunbridge Wells

I have foxes that visit my garden regularly. They have been a nuisance sometimes in the garden when they play in the day lilies - they seem to love these tall plants and babies have been known to pretty much wreck them. However, I prefer our largest predator to the day lilies and am replacing them this year for hardier shrubs that wont be trashed so easily. They make dens at the back of the garden, which they haven't so far used because we have a dog visit regularly and I think the dens they make are emergency ones in case the preferred on (in someone else's garden no doubt) is disturbed when they have cubs. As far as controlling numbers goes, they surely self-control, they certainly have been seen to do that, when mange infects them for example - see the long-term survey done on the Bristol foxes. I believe we are very lucky to have this large animal in what can sometimes be wildlife deserts in urban areas, and I’m sure they must keep other pests down!

There are always things you can do to protect your garden, and even if they do make a mess at certain times of the year - i.e. when they have cubs, that doesn't equate to killing them as far as I’m concerned. Don't forget, they majority of them die before their 1st year is out, particularly from traffic accidents. If they absolutely are a real pest, the fox project will be able to advise, re controlling them, or even curing them of mange. The organisation started as controllers of foxes, and know a great deal about them. Wouldn't be without them...

Carey Ostrer, London

I and my young daughter was deeply distressed to see on prime time TV the killing shooting of an innocent fox. I am disgusted to think that my TV license fee goes towards this total rubbish it was unnecessary to show the actual moment the fox was shot what ever views people may feel about foxes I think it shouldn’t of been shown in this way I think there will be a lot more complaints about this matter even thou no one from the BBC would care less anyway what I've got to say maybe it's pointless me saying anything at all but I feel very strongly about this matter and if gives any consolation to the suffering of this defenceless animal then that’s fine by me - after all I've got a clear conscience.

James Plaster

Futile and totally unnecessary, perhaps the pest controller should make better use of his time and bullets shooting vermin like grey squirrels which do cause damage and are not native to this country, and feral pigeons which carry awful diseases, give me a fox any day!

Tracey Holdom

Foxes I care, Miss Rebecca with rabbit. Which was kept in a very unsecure pen and hutch surely must realize or is stupid not to that rabbit is a foxes natural food? Yet only thinks its carelessness of food waste I add that a rabbit's pen as a frame placed on ground is totally inadequate that her inadequacies led to the suffering of the rabbit pens. the perimeter wire should be set at least four feet under compressed soil and set at an inward angle two posts should be permanent fixtures three feet apart buried in ground wire should be strong rabbit cage wire half inch sq.

Attached to posts by twisted bands of thick wire set at one foot apart up the pole/post the top be of firm strong frame that can be lock bolted to the posts that’s how to look after your rabbit/ night hutch as seen standard inadequate in size and door lock again bolt needed if we hadn’t killed most of the rabbits leaving them to die horrific long suffering deaths the foxes wouldn’t have so much need to visit towns as for the gun man instant /hopefully it is to say I do it cause I’m asking for money then state in a glimmer of conscious pity its the most human way, and finish with and yes I enjoy it is probably the truth underlying previous morals expressed to say nothing of any cubs left to starve and suffer /isn’t that causing suffering to wildlife?? And prosecutable why not live and let live. Do we have to kill our wild life to survive in 1909.

Paula, St Leonards