Council consider installing step at Hoylake lake after fox drownings

RESIDENTS are calling for a ramp to be installed at a Wirral boating lake after multiple foxes have drowned.

Hoylake Model Boating Lake has been described as a “death trap” by people who have discovered at least three dead foxes over the last week.

Now people are calling on Wirral Council to install a ramp to protect the animals.

One resident said: “This is the second juvenile in a week that has drowned in that Model Boat Lake.

Dead foxes have been discovered around the lake (Image: @SamFennah)

“There are no ramps installed and that's two foxes that have drowned in such a short amount of time. I reckon if you drained the pool you'd find other smaller drowned animals.

“Last week I rang someone about collecting the dead fox and they just told me to put it away and they would collect the poor thing Monday. It's still under the lifeboat ramp.

“I'm livid. I know some people out there consider foxes vermin, but drowning is a terrible way to go for any animal, and please just try to imagine if the animal in question was your cat or a dog, or even rather a kid.

A dead fox in Hoylake Model Boating Lake (Image: @SamFennah)

“I rang both the lifeboat station and council and when I rang the lifeboat station I was told it was something that would need to be sorted by the council. When I rang the council, I was told it was something that needed to be done by the lifeboat station.

"This model boat lake is a death trap.”

Cllr Liz Grey, Chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, said for Wirral Council: “This is awful news and we need to do something as soon as possible to prevent this happening again.

Dead foxes have been discovered in the water (Image: @SamFennah)

"It must have been a terrible discovery for whoever found these poor animals.

“I’d like to thank the resident who suggested the idea of a ‘ramp’. Our parks team have discussed it and suggested that a kind of ‘step’ arrangement at one corner of the lake could potentially be the most effective way to minimise the chances of this happening again.

"They are going to talk to the users of the lake and develop the idea further and, if viable, we’d look to do the same at similar places.”

The RNLI has no authority in relation to the model boating lake, which is the responsibility of Wirral Council supported by local volunteers.