A fantastic animal that is now the target of a vile hate campaign conducted by our tabloid press. It is a terribe myth that the urban fox is a scavenger that raids dustbins and skips. Many urban foxes are no different to their rural cousins and will forage in gardens, woodland, and parks for rodents and titbits. Cats, rats and dogs raid dustbins and skips...foxes are far more choosy about what they eat and prefer to hunt for rodents and birds as their rural cousins do. It's interesting to note that in rural areas it is stray dogs who kill more livestock on farms than foxes.

As for attacks on people, dogs are far more dangerous than the fox, as statistics will prove.A fox attack on people is exceptionally rare and was almost unheard of until recently. Foxes are clean,and do not pose a threat of infection. Cats and dogs again are far more likely to spread disease and infection to people than foxes.

The fox has been horribly demonised in the past as an unholy menace and they have been victimised and hunted down on the back of lies and myths. The hunt in my view was cruel and callous as it often terrified not just the fox, but other wildlife too.

Now it appears this beautiful jewel in the crown of British wildlife is public enemy number one yet again, courteosy of an hysterical 'no news month' media who have instigated a fear and mistrust of an animal that we have lived side by side with for years.

The ignorance, the childish stupidity and the irrational nonsense that has been bandied about in recent weeks is sickening.

Agree with all you say. I regularly walk in the countryside and often see foxes (who are very very shy). People often tell me that it is the urban dogs (out for a country walk with their owners) that are the worst problem - rural dogs are more used to seeing other wildlife and tend to ignore them.