Badgers are seen again around sett diggers flattened (From Worcester News)

Badgers are seen again around sett diggers flattened

6:10pm Monday 28th January 2013 in News By Freya Leng

INQUIRIES are continuing into an incident where a badgers’ sett was flattened by bulldozers in a Worcester field.

Up to eight badgers were feared dead last November when their sett on private land behind Northwick Dental Surgery, Northwick Road, was damaged.

Wildlife groups feared the animals, which are protected by the law, had been buried alive after a land was smoothed over by the heavy machinery and a trench dug alongside.

Members of the Badger Society went to the site and made airholes so the animals had an escape route, but it was not known if any survived.

But a representative of the group said badgers had been sighted only a few days ago.

“It appears the badgers are back,” she said. “The holes are still open and badgers consistently dig. Footprints have been seen. It’s good news. It’s possible they could have been in their outlier setts. In their territory a badger family will have a number of outlier setts.

“We can’t be 100 per cent certain we saved them. It is encouraging to see the sett is back in use.”

The land is owned by builder Derek Misters, who has been in talks with a developer to build new housing on the site.

Since speaking to your Worcester News last November, he said he has been learning about badgers.

“I went on the internet and enquired what the Badger Society was about and what the RSPCA’s views on it were,” he said. “I’ve become a bit more conscious of it now. The signs of badgers have been there for a while.

“You can see the scratches coming out of the holes.

“We will see about getting them moved.

“I’ve done a deal with a major company. They will try and get them moved.”

West Mercia Police confirmed inquiries are ongoing and they are waiting for an expert to assess the site.

A police spokesman said: “We are waiting for a badger expert who is making an assessment of the site to report back to us and then we can consider whether any criminal activity has taken place.”