AS A pest control officer, I am always drawn to letters and stories in The Argus regarding urban foxes (March 6).

A recent story referred to a “giant fox” in East Grinstead weighing 35lb. This is of particular interest to me as I often remove what I consider to be very large foxes from domestic gardens in the Eastbourne area.

I’m yet to weigh any of them, but I am sure they approach a similar size.

The main reason for this is artificial feeding by well-meaning members of the public, something which is on the increase.

These foxes are fed high-quality food on a regular basis. This fact, coupled with the low-energy requirements associated with not having to hunt for their own food can only mean foxes will get larger over time.

The obvious analogy would be a person living next door to a fast food outlet and eating there every day – a constant supply of calorie-rich food without the need to expend energy.

Now, larger foxes will inevitably require more food.

They will be drawn towards pets, chickens and, unfortunately, human babies.

Would you risk an attack on your baby by leaving doors open in areas known to support urban foxes? Of course not.

There was an article in a regular pest control journal recently which described an experiment carried out by a south London pest controller.

He placed a dead piglet in a pushchair wearing baby clothes and played the sound of a crying baby.

He filmed the results – the video can be viewed on the internet.

Fieldsports runs it on its own YouTube channel*.

Controversial this may be, but the facts speak for themselves.

The video emphasises their willingness to exploit any food source. The sound of a crying baby signalsweak or injured prey.

My own view is that we will see more attacks on children in the coming years.

Tom Keightley, Pest Company

Here is a link to the video Tom is talking about.

Fox Video Link

On our printed page, readers have the opportunity to scan a QR code if they have a smart phone.

Please note The Argus is not responsible for content displayed on external websites.

CAN we blame foxes for growing larger because of food available from compost heaps?

We certainly shouldn’t have to kill any fox for this reason. Compost can be stored in secure containers and these should be used by people who know they have foxes in their area.

It does not surprise me a comment was made by Fieldsports – any chance to start hunting again is in their interests.

So what if some foxes are a little larger? This does not make them any more of a threat or change their temperament.

We see large and small specimens in all life forms – often the smallest are the most dangerous.

One report said a fox shot in woodland near East Grinstead was 4ft 2ins from nose to tail.

From the tip of a fox’s tail to it’s hind quarters is almost the length of the body, so is this really so big?

Foxes in my area are certainly not more brazen. They know it pays to stay away from humans – can we blame them?

Let’s stop giving the fox a bad name. I believe we can live alongside urban foxes by giving them space and securing compost bins.

Gloria Wheatcroft, The Drive, Hove