Colin Hagedorn discovered the animal on Saturday and put it in a black rubbish bag.

He was confident that Environmental Health would remove it for him but when he contacted the department on Monday he was told this service was not available.

He was advised to leave it in his wheelie bin for normal rubbish collection - a full fortnight to wait.

Colin, of Rowan Gardens, said: "I feel very upset about it. I like animals, even though this was just a fox. To put it in the wheelie bin to me is a health hazard - the last collection was just a day before I found the fox, so it can't be in there for two weeks. What annoys me is the Council is taking more and more tax from us and offering less and less service. That is what makes me cross."

Pauline Kazi of St Peter's Crescent had a similar story when she telephoned RDC to dispose of a dead fox in her garden.

"I was told that they do not remove dead animals from gardens but only from the roadside. I was told to put the fox's body out on the pavement from where it would be collected 'within 48 hours'.

"I did not see this as a viable solution for many and very obvious reasons - rats, flies, seagulls, schoolchildren on holiday, the fact that it was Thursday and 48 hours would take it to the weekend - as well as the physical and emotional difficulties it presented for a slightly-out-of-condition pensioner."

It was then suggested she put the fox in a bin liner and put it in her wheelie bin for collection instead.

She said: "Again a very unpleasant and problematic solution, particularly in such hot weather."

Rother's Head of Amenities Madeleine Gorman said: "The Council is able to help residents who wish to dispose of deceased domestic pets. We also collect dead animals from the highway. In rural areas it is common for dead wild animals to be found on private land and it is normal for landowners to deal with disposal themselves. We have made contact with Mr Hagedorn to help him deal with the fox."