A north-east council has announced a u-turn on plans to cull a colony of rabbits blighting a cemetery.
Aberdeenshire Council said it would close Bass Cemetery in Inverurie for two days next week while it used poison gas on the animals as a “last resort” measure.
But after questioning from The Press and Journal, the local authority has postponed the action “to allow alternative pest control methods to be investigated”.
The rabbits have been eating the flowers and plants left on graves by bereaved friends and family and fears have been raised that the holes they are digging underneath headstones could cause them to topple over.
The decision to cull the colony was made after attempts to solve the problem with wall repairs and the installation of a rabbit-proof fence were unsuccessful.
Kevin Newell, who runs a humane pest control company in Auchnagatt with clients across Europe, accused the local authority of ignoring some of the options when it made the announcement.
“I know from experience that simply putting poison in the ground is not enough,” he said.
“For the ones that will die there’s nothing quick about it and the rabbits that don’t will be left underground to suffer in pain and distress.”
He added that the poison gas plan would just “cause a terrible mess.”
The council said it received a “strong reaction” from members of the public to its decision.
Head of roads, landscape services and waste, Philip McKay, said: “Whilst we fully understand that dealing with a rabbit infestation is contentious, this work will still have to take place, so this is a postponement to examine any realistic alternatives.
“We have to ensure that the cemetery operates effectively, efficiently and respectfully and that includes ensuring that memorials, such as headstones, are structurally sound and do not present a danger to those visiting the cemetery to pay their respects.
“Unfortunately, the cemetery has already been badly impacted by burrowing and this is something that has to be addressed quickly to prevent further significant damage.”