A hole lot of trouble as pensioners forced out of garden by BADGERS

The animals are causing havoc by tunnelling under the gardens of Enville Place bungalows in Short Street, Stourbridge leaving residents in fear the ground could cave in.

And there is confusion over who is responsible for getting rid of the pests because they have come from the grounds of a Dudley Council-run tower block.

Connie Underhill, whose garden backs onto the Baylie Court flats, said two holes had opened up in her garden and she has been warned not to walk on her lawn due to concerns the ground could give way.

It meant as temperatures soared to almost 30C (86F) this week, she was unable to go out into the back garden.

Dudley Council is in discussions with Accord Housing, which is responsible for the bungalows, while Urban Wildlife have also been called in to see the badgers do not come to any harm.

Residents also fear they could be made to foot part of the bill for moving the badgers, but Dudley Council said nothing had been decided yet.

Badgers were first spotted in Enville Place around five years ago but they had appeared to have moved on - before rearing their heads again in recent months.

Mrs Underhill, aged 82, who has lived in her bungalow for almost two years, said: "I can't use my garden, I have been told not to go out there. "

She said something had to be done to get rid of the badgers.

"I wouldn't like anything cruel done to them but it has got to the point where it has got to be dealt with. I'm unsettled with the situation - it's the unknown, they keep moving," she said.

"When I moved here a shed was removed from the garden and there was a hole behind it. Since then another one has appeared."

Although some parts of the country have carried out a cull of badgers to protect cows from bovine tuberculosis, they are are a protected species and the authorities face a headache over how best to remove them.

Kathleen Gittins, aged 86, who lives a few doors down, said the badgers were causing huge disruption in Enville Place.

She said: "It's a nice little community. Everybody is retired and takes pride in their gardens. They're in the council grounds but they are our nuisance.

"The badgers should be protected but they get more protection than us. To do anything you have to have a licence, you can't do anything yourself.

"There is a suggestion that they want to take out the fence, dig a ditch and fill it in. I'm not keen on having the fence out, I've got all these plants and it is going to be a big upheaval."

Julie Barber, whose home also backs onto Baylie Court, said she was worried the badgers could set their sights on her garden.

"Badgers are active and unpredictable, you don't know where they will go. There is a feeling of the unknown and that they might come under my garden," she said.

"I won't be happy if they start digging under the foundations of my property. That's when the problems start."

Dudley Council's housing boss Gaye Partridge said the authority was hoping to reach a speedy solution but admitted it was a complicated process.

She said: "We were made aware of badgers living on a piece of land near Baylie Court, and they had caused some damage to a boundary wall. Housing officers met with neighbours, Accord Housing Association and Natural England to look at what has been happening.

"We are currently working to identify who has responsibility for any work which is needed to resolve the issues, but as badgers are protected, we are also under advice from Natural England over a suitable way forward. We will be keeping residents informed throughout this process and working towards a quick and amicable solution."

Accord Housing said it was also working towards finding a way forward.

Spokesman Sarah Archer said: "We are working with Dudley Council, residents and Natural England on the situation regarding badgers damaging gardens at Enville Place.

"We are keeping our residents informed throughout this process and are confident of a successful resolution."