GREY squirrels have been reprieved from a death sentence after councillors rejected plans to poison them.

Animal rights protesters, who filled a public gallery at Marlow Town Council on Wednesday night, called the decision "a victory for common sense."

The poison plan came about after councillors received complaints about squirrels eating flowers and bulbs planted in Marlow Cemetery, in Wethered Road.

Wycombe District Council's environmental health division suggested squirrel numbers should be reduced by poison baiting.

Councillors agreed to take no further action to control the growing population.

Cllr Ian Wernham said: "It is as much their earth as ours and who are we to determine where they nest."

Animal lover Val Miller, of Flackwell Heath, presented a 700-signature petition against the proposal before the meeting.

Mrs Miller, who runs an animal sanctuary called Animals TLC, said afterwards: "The cemetery will now keep its natural beauty instead of becoming a place associated with more death.

"I spent hours going around Marlow and Flackwell Heath to collect names but I felt people needed to know what could happen to the squirrels."

She added: "To exterminate these animals with poison would have been an outrage.

"They would have suffered a slow painful death going berserk as the poison started to work."

Nigel Cook, group spokesman for Animal Life Support, said the council's decision not to kill the squirrels should be congratulated.

Town clerk Howard Bellairs said the poison plan arose after complaints from relatives distressed at the damage done to the graves.

"We had also received complaints that the squirrels had been stripping bark on the trees and that they were also preying on birds' nests."

But Mr Bellairs warned: "If the problem at the cemetery becomes too much, then we will have to look at other means of addressing the situation."

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