Mum Wendy Simmonds says youngsters can’t play football at a local park because of an invasion of moles.
Dog-walker Wendy, aged 38, says mountainous mole hills are stopping children from playing sport at Armitage with Handsacre park.
She also claims that one youngster was injured after tripping on one of the mole hills while playing football.
Wendy said: “They are so unsightly and spoil the grass of the field.
“As well as this, they make the ground extremely uneven and dogs are always digging the mole hills out.
“I always worry about them catching one of the moles and killing it.
“They are also an issue for my son, who loves to come down here and play football with his mates.
“It ruins their games and one lad hurt his ankle last week because he turned it on a mole hill.”
The moles have been a concern in the park for the last two years but residents says the problem is getting out of hand.
“Because they burrow and dig beneath the surface, its not as simple as just putting up fencing, or barriers,” said Michael Klein, a local pest control officer.
“Some netting can be used, but this must be installed before the turf is laid, so in this case, that is not an option.
“The best option and most effective solution is to use traps to catch and kill them.
“They do cause havoc as they work really hard in their search for food.
“If human beings were as industrious as moles, it would take just six blokes a week to build the pyramids in Egypt.”.
One resident took to Twitter to vent their frustration at the situation.
@Lichfield_DC think it's time you did something with the field at armitage village hall full off holes (ankle breaker) and mole hills
— peter pratt (@peter_p23) December 4, 2016
Moles are about 15cm long and have a very tubular shaped body.
They are blind and navigate underground with smell and feel, using their huge paddle like front feet to move the soil from in front of them.
At the moment, it is unclear what can be done about the moles in Armitage with Handsacre, but residents will be hoping the solution is swift and effective.
For more information on how to deal with moles, click here.
