A High Town family have called for measures to control Luton’s fox population after their four chickens were taken from their garden.
Sharon and Andrew Horsfall, of Kingston Road, were horrified to find their chicken coops broken into and the birds gone when they went out to feed them on Monday morning.
“There were just lots of feathers and blood,” said Andrew, 45.
When the couple contacted the Luton News they were yet to break the news to daughters Abigail, 12, and Amelia, eight.
“The girls are going to be devastated,” said Andrew. “We got them just before Christmas for Abigail’s birthday.
“They were just about to come into lay.”
Andrew said he often saw foxes in High Town on days when he left early for work.
And he is now worried Luton could see a similar incident to that in London at the weekend where a baby was attacked by a fox.
“I think we should bring back hunting and have snipers. They’ve pulled the hinges off the cages.
“Are people going to be safe to leave their doors and windows open in the summer?”
But he said the blame did not lie entirely with the animals.
“There’s so much rubbish outside these takeaway shops – the council needs to do something to deter the foxes from coming into town.”
>Do you think Luton needs a fox cull? Here’s what people had to say on our Facebook page...
Darren Brown: “I do not like the idea of killing animals. Luton has far too many takeaways, and not enough bins. I think Luton does need a cull, of takeaways.”
Bobby Presley: “Yes a cull of urban foxes is a good idea. We should be able to have our windows and doors open without the fear that a beasty could get and cause harm.”
Lawrence Patterson: “Those that think foxes are a problem really need to spend some time in a country with really wild and dangerous animals and maybe then they would grow up.”
You can watch a video of one of Luton’s foxes at www.lutontoday.co.uk