Beckton, Newham: Foxes ‘tortured and set on fire’ by a group of men at night

Police say a group of four men has been torturing foxes at night near Beckton Park.
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An appeal for information has been made by police after reports of foxes being tortured at night and even set on fire by a group of men in east London.

Police were contacted by an animal rescue group on February 27 after a member of the public reported seeing a fox being set alight by four men.

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The Newham resident was awoken at 1am by what they thought they thought was a person screaming, before closer inspection revealed it was a fox being dosed with what appeared to be lighter fluid.

The animal managed to escape the attack but was badly burnt and it is not known whether it has survived.

Police say enquiries have established that the group regularly go to the area in the early hours of the morning and have reportedly previously captured and tortured foxes – including starting fires to smoke them out of their dens and setting their dogs on them.

The group has been described as four black men, aged around 18 to 20.

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Detective Constable James Mahoney, a wildlife crime officer in Newham and Waltham Forest, said: “I am truly shocked and sickened by these appalling, cruel incidents and I would appeal to anyone with information to come forward so we can catch those responsible and prevent any more foxes from being hurt.

He added: “If you live in the area, please check any doorbell, dash cam or CCTV footage in case you’ve captured these heinous crimes or a group of males matching the description loitering around.

“It is also possible that the group are not just targeting foxes in the Kestrel Avenue area, and so I’d urge the people of Newham to remain vigilant and report any information to us or Crimestoppers anonymously.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 2533/27FEB.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.