Pet ferrets are being used to kill hundreds of rabbits causing serious damage to sports pitches in a Mid Wales town.

Welshpool Town Council has so far been unsuccessful in its attempts to address the “rabbit problem” which has been plaguing the town’s Maesydre playing fields with holes.

But now ferret owners appear to have taken the matter into their own hands and have started taking their pets down to the pitches in a bid to reduce the number of rabbits churning them up.

Now the town council is hoping other ferret owners will follow the example.

Councillor Phil Pritchard urged as many ferret owners as possible to head down to the playing fields to help solve the problem, which is putting rugby and football players at risk of injury

He said: “We need to ensure families who own ferrets know they can take their ferrets down to the local playing field and let them out and see if it can help.

“I know there are a lot of ferret owning families in the town. They need to know that we are happy for them to go on down and help us and I believe many have already.”

Robert Robinson, town clerk, said several families had already been down to try and help solve the problem.

He said: “The ferrets are being used on the grounds to control rabbits.”

A radical plan to use human hair to get rid of the rabbits will be discussed by councillors on December 8. It comes after Peter Hughes, a groundsman in Corwen, North Wales, recommended it to the council after using the technique himself.

Councillor Tony Squibb, chairman of the council’s recreation and leisure committee, said: “The item has been placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

“At the moment we are looking at ways in which we can solve the rabbit problems and welcome any suggestions. This human hair solution sounds interesting and we hope it will help us.”

Mr Hughes, who had been experiencing the same problem at his local rugby pitch, said he had used human hair after seeing a film.

“The rabbits were digging big holes everywhere so I went to the local barbers and bagged up the hair cuttings before spreading them across the pitch,” he said.

By Andrew Morris