Staple Hill: Burrowing badgers block Bristol footpath

Soil from a badgers' sett has led to the path's drains becoming blocked

A section of the Bristol to Bath Railway Path will be closed from Monday to repair damage caused by burrowing badgers.

South Gloucestershire Council said that soil from a badger sett had caused the path's drain at the Staple Hill tunnel to become blocked.

The one-mile (1.6km) stretch will be closed for eight weeks for repairs.

During this time a 1.5 mile (2.4km) diversion, avoiding unlit or darker wooded areas, will be put in place.

A statement on the council's StreetCare Facebook page explained how the badgers had been "digging the soil over the retaining wall" which had "caused the main drainage ditch to block up".

The tunnel will be closed from Monday for about eight weeks

It added: "We plan to install a pipe in the ditch to stop the soil from the badgers affecting the drainage in the future, as well as carry out ditch clearance and widening works to help hold extra rainfall."

'Cut through'

A cyclist told BBC Radio Bristol they used the path as an off-road "cut through" from the city centre to their home in Hanham.

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"I'm going to have to make a detour around the town and on to the roads," he said.

The path itself will also close from Monday for eight weeks

"It's going to make a big change to a lot of people definitely," he added.

Another woman said that she and her partner normally used the path to walk their dogs to Staple Hill park.

She added: "It's going to be quite awkward for quite a long time I think."

She agreed the work needed to be done though because the blocked drain often caused the path to flood.

"It's very bad.

"We tried to get through a few weeks ago and we just couldn't get round the mud and everything - it was a bit dangerous."

The path is due to reopen on 10 January.