Gloucestershire country lane rebuilt after badger setts found

A country lane is being rebuilt after badgers made several setts under the surface, damaging it.

The unclassified road runs between Kempsford and Hannington Wick in Gloucestershire.

Jonathan Hodges, Gloucestershire County Council's badger expert, said the tunnels stretched 80m (87 yards).

The lane is an important route to the Royal International Air Tattoo, so the council is trying to carry out repairs in time for the event on Friday.

Mr Hodges said each of the setts would be licensed with Natural England.

"We will follow each tunnel till the end to make sure our friends have moved on", he added.

Danny Taylor, council highways manager, said his team had a "very tight timescale" of two weeks to repair the road.

He described working on the site as a "huge problem" and revealed there were another four sites that need rebuilding due to underground badger setts across the county.

He said members of the public had been objecting to the badger setts being disturbed.

He added: "All of this is being done within the parameters of the licence."

Badgers and their setts are protected under the protection of the 1992 UK Badgers Act.