Badger madness devastates garden

Lawns of a historic manor house dating back to the 17th century have been destroyed after being dug up. But this act of vandalism was not caused by yobs – but by burrowing badgers.

IBB Solicitors, based at The Bury in Church Street, Chesham, were dismayed to see the new ploughed-field look of one of its gardens. Now the legal team and its gardener are despairing there may not be a solution to their problems caused by the nocturnal beasts.

Carol Andrews, officer manager for the firm, said: “Clients are coming in asking what happened. They can't believe three little badgers have done quite so much damage. “It started in September and our gardener tried his best to put it back. Each day we came in and more and more had been damaged. He had his head in his hands.”



The damage puzzled the staff at first, she added. But residents in the area spotted the badgers hard at work after dark. Gardener Chris Edwards, said he had seen badger damage in other gardens but nothing on this scale. He said: “I was pretty upset really. I have been coming here for about seven years. The lawn has been here probably 250 years and so is weak for them to pull up to get the grubs.”

Mr Edwards added: “We tried to put up a barricade but they were climbing over a four-ft high fence and we've now heard they can swim, so can come along the lake. The field is full of cockchafers which obviously to an animal is a food source. Unfortunately because badgers are protected, you can't really do a lot.”

Gillian Outram, partner in charge of private clients, has looked into their options. Mrs Outram said: “The only two things are either an electric fence or putting male human urine down, because apparently they don't like that. The problem is there is a lot of other wildlife that could be electrocuted by the fence, such as Muntjac, and swans. And we do have a few men in the company but I think to bring them out would be against the terms of their employment contract. It's such a shame, it's usually such a beautiful place in the Spring and Summer.”