‘Frenzied’ foxes cause multi-thousand pound damage in Sussex car attacks

A group of Sussex residents say they are being plagued by frenzied foxes which have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to their cars.
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They say the foxes have chewed through their vehicles’ brake cables and electrical wires and have left surrounding pavements strewn with faeces and vomit.

One victim - Heather Phillips - said: “It’s been so dreadful. There are no words to describe it.”

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She said the ‘nightmare’ problem had been going on for the past six or seven months but residents had been unable to get any help to deal with it.

A 'fox-proofed' car in Spencer's Road, HorshamA 'fox-proofed' car in Spencer's Road, Horsham
A 'fox-proofed' car in Spencer's Road, Horsham

They were now having to cover their cars with tarpaulins overnight in a bid to deter the foxes from getting beneath their vehicles.

She said her own vehicle had been damaged, along with those of many of her neighbours in Horsham, and a garage had originally quoted her a bill of £4,500 for repairs.

A survey of neighbours revealed some were facing repair bills of up to £9,000 each.

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Heather said around 30 people in her road and other surrounding areas had been affected. “It’s a nightmare,” she said.

“These foxes go on frenzies. It is just hideous.

“We have counted about 36 foxes in a neighbouring garden.”

She said, apart from the damage being done to vehicles, children were having to walk to school along pavements covered with fox poo and maggots feeding on their vomit.

“Nearly every person in the neighbourhood has contacted environmental health but we never hear back,” said Heather.

“We phoned the RSPCA but they said they could only help if someone was harming the foxes.”

She said council officials had also told them that foxes were not vermin but were ‘wildlife.’

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