A group of four men, thought to be between 18 and 20 years old, has been torturing foxes in Newham, east London. Police are calling to the public for any information about them.
In the early hours of Monday 27 February, police were called to the scene after screaming was heard, initially thought to be coming from a human. They discovered a group of men in woods, near Kestrel Avenue and Linton Gardens, who were torturing an animal.
Setting the fox on fire
The Metropolitan Police released a statement, saying:
“upon inspection they saw a group of men pouring what is believed to be lighter fluid over a fox and setting it on fire with a lighter. The fox managed to escape, but was badly burnt. The extent of its injuries, or if it survived, remain unknown.”
The police continued:
“Enquiries have established that the group regularly go to the area in the early hours of the morning and have reportedly previously captured and tortured foxes – including starting fires to smoke them out of their dens and setting their dogs on them.”
Appeal for information
Protect The Wild contacted the Metropolitan Police, asking if there were any updates on the incident. The police said that “enquiries do remain ongoing”. The Met is asking the public for any information on the men.
Wildlife Crime Officer James Mahoney said:
“If you live in the area, please check any doorbell, dash cam or CCTV footage in case you’ve captured these heinous crimes or a group of males matching the description loitering around. It is also possible that the group are not just targeting foxes in the Kestrel Avenue area, and so I’d urge the people of Newham to remain vigilant and report any information to us or Crimestoppers anonymously.”Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 2533/27FEB. Or you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 2533/27FEB. Or you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
