Hockley Ferret Rescue centre finds new home on pub land

Jo Clark said ferrets are the "most wonderful animals"

Two sisters say they are "excited" their ferret rescue centre has a new home after they were set to lose its existing base to new properties.

Jo and Tracy Clark, who run Hockley Ferret Rescue in Essex, currently look after about 180 of the furry animals.

Developer Kent Property Investments plans to build 16 homes at the centre's current base at the Fairways Garden Centre development in Rayleigh, Essex.

It now plans to move to land at the Prince of Wales pub in Stow Maries.

The sisters relocation will include moving the 180 lost, abandoned and ill-treated ferrets which they have taken in over the past 10 years.

Tracy Clark (pictured) runs Hockley Ferret Rescue with her sister Jo

Jo said after hearing about their plight they were contacted by the landlord of the pub, close to South Woodham Ferrers, who told them he had some agricultural land behind his business.

After meeting him and seeing the plot, Jo said: "It's wonderful, there's woodland, there's lots of acres so we can have ferret shows... We are so excited.

"We were losing sleep on where we where going to put the rescue and now we're losing sleep on the excitement of what we are going to build and how we're going to do this."

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She said they would now have to "start from scratch and rebuild", but before this could happen they would need to secure planning permission for a concrete base from the local council.

"It's all looking positive, it's looking great", Jo added.

Kent Property Investments previously declined to comment.

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