A pensioner today called for the council to take action against urban foxes terrorising her street and attacking birds and pets.

Gillian Webb, of Middle Lane, Teddington, said a pack of three were prowling around Elleray Hall, a social club for people aged over 60, and killing cats and pigeons.

She said: “Nothing is safe around here. They are working as a team, this is what worries me. They are very big, healthy and strong. I think it has gone too far.”

She said she was worried about the safety of her neighbours’ six-month-old baby and would condone pest controllers culling the foxes, even though she knew it would attract controversy.

She added: “If it is official and done properly, I feel that something has to be done now and I would not attempt to do anything on my own.

“I think the time has come to exert some sort of control.”

Neighbours said the foxes hide in a depot building in North Lane, along with two dens in nearby Queen’s Road, and sometimes attack animals during the day.

They spotted one with a limp cat in its mouth run into the Elleray Hall car park last month.

Richmond Council said it did not cull foxes, but instead supports “co-existence and humane deterrence”.

Councillor Virginia Morris, cabinet member for environment at Richmond Council, said: “We’re aware a small number of people have spoken to their ward councillors about foxes. The noise and smell can be frustrating and I can feel for households who have to put up with it.

“The council does not have a legal duty to deal with foxes, but advice is available on what people can do themselves to make their gardens less attractive to them - for instance clearing overgrowth and making sure there are no sources of food available.”

The authority said foxes were part of the borough’s urban wildlife, and it encouraged residents to find “humane solutions”.

For advice on foxes, visit richmond.gov.uk/problem_with_foxes.pdf.

Top tips on deterring foxes:

- Clear overgrown gardens which could provide resting areas.

- Make sure there is no food available in rubbish, on compost heaps or left on the ground.

- Do not use fertilisers like blood, fish and bone meal as they attract foxes.

- Foxes can usually be deterred through the determined use of smell repellents.

- The use of rags soaked in substances like creosote or petrol must not be employed as it is illegal, poses a fire hazard and is potentially harmful to animals, including pets.

- If a den is the problem, it needs to be blocked securely to prevent access but only when all foxes are out of the den.