sett

Now, the local authority has confirmed a contract has been agreed to reinstate the granite setts within the marked conservation area.

The local authority has now confirmed a contract has been agreed to reinstate the granite setts within the conservation area.

Badger diggers dislodge the animal from its sett and then set dogs on them, sitting back to watch what they determine as sport as the dogs and badger literally tear lumps out of each other, all for the enjoyment of those witnessing this shocking spectacle.

The "setts", as badger holes are called, are easy to tell apart from holes made be foxes and rabbits.

After the hearing, the National Federation of Badger Groups conservation officer, Elaine King, said: "This sends out the message that interference with badger setts won't be tolerated."

These include taking, injuring, or killing badgers, causing them cruelty, interfering with badger setts, selling and possessing live badgers, or marking and ringing the animals.

Police say there have been numerous other setts targeted in recent months.

"We record and monitor as many setts as possible and this evidence may be used by the police in the event of sett interference or animal cruelty."

Work on extending the setts began this week and will be completed by the end of June.

With legal protection and local vigilance the setts became re-occupied and our records now show a fairly stable situation with some ups and downs.

Following implementation of these measures, badger populations increased significantly, with populations recovering to 2570 occupied setts in 2001, and resulting in removal of the species' threatened status (Wiertz 1993, van Moll 1999, 2002, 2005, van Apeldoorn et al.

Local councillor for Bettisfield Phil Jones said: "What may have happened is while water ways workers were pile driving near to the setts, the badgers may have burrowed further in and unfortunately this has caused the breach."