Bats have been strictly protected since 1981. It's a ferocious piece of legislation, with fines of up to £5,000 per bat for an offence against them, but it's done a great deal to protect many of our 17 native breeds. I enjoy seeing bats; flittering around the garden, they add an ethereal charm to a summer s evening. The shame is the damage that they do. Too many buildings where they roost and the communities that use them are being damaged by bats. There are, for instance, churches with a serious bat issues; the problem is not the bats themselves, but the excrement that cascades from their roosts.
Many churches have to cover all the pews with polythene to prevent the mess spoiling all the church furniture. It's also a health hazard. I'm all for protecting endangered species, but a sense of proportion has got to be had. No church would want to risk rehousing the very rare Bechstein's bat, Britain's rarest mammal, but why ruin the church and the community for the much commoner pipistrelle, which isn't threatened? Why should all breeds of bats be treated the same way? By all means protect them, but let s apply some common sense, too.
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380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
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'A delicious chance to step back in time and bask in the best of Britain': An insider's guide to The SeasonHere's how to navigate this summer's top events in style, from those who know best.
