Over 100 calls made to RSPCA from Cumbria to report animals affected by litter

The RSPCA has received almost 13,000 reports nationwide about animals found severely injured, trapped, mutilated, choked or even dead from carelessly discarded litter over the past four years.

The shocking new data - released today by the charity - also reveals that it received an average of 13 reports per day last year during the peak months of May, June, July and August, when there is a particular litter hazard for animals.

Now - the RSPCA is urging people to help "create a better world for every animal" by getting involved in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean’ (from 15-31 March). Individuals, groups or schools can pledge their support - and say how many bags of litter they intend to pick up - with more than 400,000 collected in total last year.

Distressing incidents dealt with by the RSPCA include a hedgehog entangled in old barbed wire, a fox cub with litter caught round his neck, a goose with an old drinks can stuck to her lower beak and a Great Black Backed Gull whose leg became almost completely detached due to old fishing line cutting in.

Amongst mammals, litter-related reports to the RSPCA were highest for foxes, hedgehogs and deer, while among wild birds, swans, pigeons and gulls bore the greatest brunt of discarded rubbish. The RSPCA even received reports of family pets such as cats and dogs being affected by litter.

RSPCA anti-litter campaigns manager Carrie Stones said: "Our rescuers deal with thousands of avoidable incidents every year where animals have been impacted by litter.

"Old drinks cans and bottles, plastic items and even disposable vapes are just some of the items that pose a danger to our wildlife - including hedgehogs, deer and foxes. Animals can ingest the litter or become entangled, leading to injuries, mutilations and even death.

"Sadly, for every animal we’re able to help there are probably many others that go unseen, unreported and may even lose their lives.

"But the public can help us protect animals, and avoid these incidents happening in the first place.

"Spring is an ideal time to go on a litter-pick because it falls before the breeding season when young animals such as fox cubs are at risk of getting into trouble, while litter in hedges will be more visible to pickers before the vegetation really starts growing. That’s why we’re calling on the public to get involved in the Great British Spring Clean to help remove litter that may endanger animals."

Also raising concerns is the NFU Cumbria chairman John Longmire. He believes that litter is posing a growing risk to the county's cattle and livestock.

He said: "Things like chines lanterns are a problem, they land in fields and barns, there's a fire risk. The wire from these can be eaten by livestock, or in silage fields it can be picked up by machinery and end up in the winter feed.

"The amount of wrappers too that blow into the fields. All that plastic, sheep and cattle are inquisitive, and they can chew on it and choke.

"I know with cattle they can get a thing called wired when they eat wire. It goes into the stomach, that stops working. It can be operated on but it's a very delicate operation and most times it results in the death of the animal."

The RSPCA is also warning that discarded biodegradable food litter also poses dangers - putting many animals at risk of road traffic collisions.