Essex Wildlife Trust has been forced to recruit a trained marksman to cull foxes invading one of its reserves.

The controversial decision has been taken with "reluctance," says the Trust, but sheep and ground nesting birds on the Trust's Tollesbury Wick Reserve, near West Mersea, have to be protected from the predators.

At the same time Essex farmers have expressed concern about the increasing number of urban foxes being dumped the countryside, resulting in heavy losses of farm stock.

Essex NFU Chaiman, Peter Hawes, who farms at Shalford Green, near Braintree, said that he did not know who was responsible, but they were doing "no favours," either to the foxes or the farmers. Moving foxes from one environment to another did not solve the problem.

"It is unkind to foxes used to being fed with scraps in back gardens, which then find themselves out in the open country, having to encroach on poultry, young lambs and game. The problem then becomes very serious."

Graham Game, the Trust's Development Manager, said there was growing anecdotal evidence to suggest that urban foxes were being let loose in the Essex countryside.

He said that a marksman had been called in to cull foxes preying on sheep at the Tollesbury Wick Reserve.

There were two species on the site, Ronaldsay and Shetland, and protecting them was crucial as their grazing kept the grass at suitable levels for endangered nesting birds, such as Brent geese, Redshank and Lapwing.

"Up to 20 foxes invade regularly, obviously attracted to the site, which is very remote, during the lambing season and when the ground nesting birds are there. The foxes take the eggs from the nests."

A date is yet to be set for the cull, but will take place before the end of February.

Published Thursday, February 21, 2002