Council apologises for gassing moles to death in graveyard
Tadley town council triggered outrage among residents after dead, poisoned moles were left strewn across the burial ground in Tadley, Basingstoke.
Avril Burdett, chairman of Tadley Town Council, said the molehills were unsightly, caused a trip hazard to elderly mourners visiting the graves and had upset those whose loved ones were buried there.
'It's rather inappropriate to have burrowing animals around graves,' she said.
Cllr Burdett said the decision to use the gassing agent was 'very difficult,' but 'sadly necessary', adding: 'I'm sorry that we've upset people.'
Residents raised concern when they were warned to avoid the area around St Peter's Church while the 'mole removal' took place.
A sign pinned to a gate read: 'Burial ground closed 14-16 January. Mole removal is taking place using Talunex aluminium phosphide gassing agent. People and dogs must keep away from this area.'
The gassing agent is a rodenticide used to kill moles, rats and rabbits. Phosphine gas is produced when the pellets come into contact with moisture, producing a garlic or carbide odour.
It is highly toxic and flammable. Breathing in aluminium phosphine can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
The council said it was forced to take the decision after 'traditional trapping methods proved ineffective'.
In an email response to a resident, seen by The Telegraph, the council said that 'for some time, the burial ground has faced significant challenges due to mole activity'.
The email added: 'Initially, we employed traditional trapping methods in an effort to manage the problem. These measures failed to achieve the necessary level of control. The number of moles and their activity continued to escalate, exacerbating the damage.'
But residents have rejected the reasoning, with many expressing fears of contaminated water sources and secondary poisoning to local wildlife.
One local pest controller, who wished to remain anonymous, branded the use of rodenticides as 'inhumane'.
'Using gas as a method of pest control can lead to significant suffering for the animals, as it causes distress and a prolonged death, which is ethically unacceptable in my opinion,' he said.
Residents' frustration initially landed at the gates of St Peter's, with many blaming the church for letting the council go ahead with its plans.
But the church denied all knowledge, telling residents: 'I'm afraid we knew nothing about this or the closure of the burial ground for this period. This has not been organised by the church. The graveyard around St Peter's is managed by the town council and Basingstoke and Deane borough council.'
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