Hundreds of frogs were killed to the horror of residents when contractors cut the grass around a Telford lake.
The bodies of the tiny amphibians were left strewn around Tee Lake, Dothill, in scenes resembling a “massacre”, said Councillor Denis Allen.
A council boss today apologised for the incident, blaming it on the miserable summer weather stopping the frogs migrating.
Councillor Allen said he had received several phone calls from residents appalled at the gruesome sight after mowing by contractors for Telford & Wrekin Council.
“I feel very upset about this. We should look after Telford’s precious wildlife rather than slaughter it,” he said.
Councillor Steve Bentley, cabinet member for the environment, said today: “We regret what has happened and will review the mowing and maintenance of this and other sites so as to prevent this type of incident happening again.”
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30 Comments
They are a protected species and clearly policy procedure and practice has failed here.
If this was a company that did this, the council would be aiming to prosecute, blaming the weather is no excuse.
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You would have thought that after a couple of frogs had been mowed over the workers would stop but no they carried on until 100’s were killed.
A gamekeeper was fined for killing badgers recently – just because frogs are smaller they still have a right to life.
I find it impossible that the workers did not realise what was happening as they mowed the grass.
Gross stupidity and cruelty
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Did the Council not do a risk assesment? Surely this was foreseeable and has nothing to do with this summers weather at all.
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Aother case of gross incompetence followed by pathetic excuses, then these people are to be given a pay rise of around a 50% increase.
they continue to flounder from one badly handled incident into the next.
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I don’t normally agree with you John franklyn but this time I do agree with you 100%
However I don’t think its the upper power levels at the council at fault for this event.
I would place the blame firmly on the council workers.
How anyone can mow grass without seeing the decaptitated frogs is beyond me.
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lol – that’s proved kermit was right it aint easy being green, no problem they’re just frogs, but thank god they weren’t crested newts or those responsible would all be in jail!!
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Unless I’m reading this incorrectly, does the story not say that this was the fault of contractors? How then are council workers to blame?
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would these workers have known of the existance of these frogs before they started. if the council knew then they must be held to account. better get harold and his horse to harvest it next time, we plough the fields and splatter, er sorry poor taste
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y mab d., I agree with you up to a point. The council workers concerned would not have the authority to just down tools, but they could have raised the blade heights. It reminds me of the orchids which were strimmed from a roundabout a few years back (this was also in Telford); a symptom of local authorities’ obsession with grasscutting – no form of animal, bird or wildflower is safe from these ignorant bureaucrats and their determination to create a sort of home-counties green desert.
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Yet fall foul of these councils and put the bin out on the wrong day!
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After the recent massacre, Kermit has now cancelled his Telford Tour, when asked to comment he replied,
“Me visit Telford – you must be croaking”
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Deven Salopian,
Yes they would’ve known and in truth, regardless of the weather, you would expect to find protected amphibians around a large expanse of water and then expect to find more in the wet.
It could be argued that some could be accidently killed, but this sounds slightly different.
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Telford and Wrekin Council do it again. And again and again. When is something going to be done about this council.
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ecocynic: I quite agree about obsessive grass cutting. They are even doing it in the country where ducks used to nest and wild flowers flourish. If the townies want the verge to look like a town park, then go back to the town!
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Lucy W: couldn’t agree more. But its not just Telford – I used the A55 quite a bit this summer, and they were cutting the verges at the height of the wild-flower season, when there was no issue with visibility or safety. Jobs for the boys?
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why not put 6 sheep or goats there to keep the grass down
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What is all the fuss about they breed faster than rabbits! their numbers will be back before you know it.
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Devon: Excellent idea, thats already happening on the M6 near Shap. They have sheep in the middle grazing it – not sure if they are meant to be there though!
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thank god it wasnt newts or they would be in jail!
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What a lot of bother over a few frogs!
Good job those frogs weren’t born in France, They’d be on someone’s plate by now.
I’m sure the frog population will survive and regrettable as this incident is…..it’s not the end of the world.
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yes great crested newts would have caused an outcry as they are protected by the EU, more brussells interference in our lives, cant even kill a frog these days without the french getting annoyed
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Fran – The people of Telford voted the Tory Council in last year so be assured that nothing will be done until 4 years time.
Silly people make protest votes against a good Telford labour council and let in the Tories.
You have now seen on a small scale the damage they have done to T & W
wait until they are elected to Gove next year.
I for one shall be calling for Welsh independance so we are not rules by those twits in London
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lol – its not easy being green huh?
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Y Mab: Will I need a Passport and Visa to visit Wales when you get independence?
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the contractors do as the council say. they are both to blame but really isnt there more important things to worry about than frogs?
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Lucy W – of course and all your vacinations updated before you gain entry
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fed up: Would you have said that if you were a frog?
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how we would welcome the Welsh being independent, for too long they have taken English Tax pounds and together with Scotland provided a Labour government for England.
Welsh and Scottish independence can’t come soon enough.
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“The contractors do as the council say” (comment 25)- so someone in T&W instructed their contractor to go out and deliberately run their mowers over any wildlife they came across did they? I wonder if the council is also to blame for the loss of the Titanic, global warming and the high rates of teenage pregnancy in this country as well then.
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Mark: If you live in the country, you would know that frogs are found in long wet grass this time of year. Perhaps the council would be better employing a country person rather than someone with in irrelevant degree to organise the grass mowing.
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