Morden 'killer foxes' cut brake cables and cause van to crash into lamppost

Tony Elcome, 50, of Lower Morden Lane, escaped injury last Friday night but residents in the area claim it is only a matter of time until someone is seriously hurt as “killer foxes” maul the underside of cars.

In October, Morden cabbie Adam Sparkes - whose driveway is yards from where Mr Elcome’s van is parked - appealed for the council to cull the area’s fox population after spending nearly £1,000 repairing similar damage to his cab.

Mr Elcome, 50, said: “I was coming up to a t-junction about 50m from where I set off and could only stop by swerving off the road and pulling the handbrake. It was horrifying.

“When you first hear your brake cables have been cut you don’t know what to think - all sorts of things go through your mind. The mechanics later said they could see the claw marks from where the foxes had been.

“It could have been a hell of a lot worse, especially if I had been setting off in the morning when school children would have been about.”

Mr Sparkes, who believes he is being kept awake at night by the same foxes, is demanding the council to cull them.

He said: “Set a trap or do something to get these foxes away. If I’m too tired to drive then it becomes an issue of my health and safety. I must have lost the best part of £1,000 in earnings.

“It’s driven me absolutely mental and my wife is regularly in tears. If this was a comedy show, you couldn’t make it up.”

Merton Council cabinet member for environment and leisure services Councillor David Simpson said: "We sympathise with any problems residents are experiencing with foxes.

"However, our policy is not to cull them as such action has proved to be an ineffective measure.

"They are also part of our wildlife. Foxes are attracted by food waste so to deter them we always recommend ensuring any rubbish waiting for collection is properly contained.”

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