RSPCA is asking people to be careful with netting after a fox cub was caught in a rope fence in a garden in South Godstone.

The young animal, whose neck and a paw were tangled up in the netting, was discovered by a resident. RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Chloe Wilson attended the incident on July 11 and used a rope cutter to free the fox.

After checking the animal over, she released the fox at the rear of the property, near to open countryside.

“The fox was very distressed when the resident found him. Fortunately, the cub wasn’t stuck too tight and I was able to free him quickly,” said Chloe.

“Apart from a bit of soreness around his neck, where he’d been struggling to get free, he was unhurt and I released him at the bottom of the garden of the property, from where he darted off pretty quickly.

“Netting of all kinds poses real dangers to wildlife and urban foxes are often caught up.”

Chloe urges anyone who uses netting for sports to remove and store them after games and put discarded or old netting in a bin. She advised replacing garden netting with a solid metal mesh fence for the safety of wildlife.

Take sick or small injured animals to a vet or wildlife rehabilitator if safe to do so. If a fox is trapped or injured, the RSPCA advises not trying to handle it yourself. Stay a safe distance and contact the charity on 0300 1234 999.