Outraged residents have slammed a housing developer for “ripping up” an active rabbit warren.

Kim Ready lives near the former Wooley Orchard, in Lower Rainham Road, Rainham, which has planning permission for 200 homes, to be known as Hamlet Park.

Subcontractors hired by the homebuilding firm Redrow have been out on the fields this week performing ground clearance works and Kim claims they are destroying rabbit warrens, foxes dens, and other wildlife.

But the company has said it is acting within the scope of its planning consent and all work is under the supervision of qualified ecologists.

Kim told KentOnline: “They are indiscriminate in the way they take it away. They just come in and rip it up.

“It is an active warren, you can see the rabbits coming and going. Their home has gone so they are just exposed in the fields.

“They have squashed the foxes dens as well. Everything gets displaced.

“Earlier this year, they turned up all the hedgerows and bushes and you could see the hedgehogs and rabbits going into the machine.

“You do not know how much wildlife lives over there and it is all being made homeless. It is upsetting really and it pains me to see it happening.”

The mum and environmental enthusiast said this activity has happened around three times in the last eight months and claims each time it has caused harm to the wildlife.

“One of my children is four years old and she likes to look out her window and say goodnight to all the animals. I did not even let her look the other night,” the 39-year-old added.

“It is just a matter of time before Redrow take up and squash these areas. It does concern everyone about how they go about it.”

Redrow bought the former Wooley Orchard site from Peel Investments in August last year with outline planning consent already granted.

It has since had planning consent from Medway Council to build 200 homes and the ground clearance works are within the scope of this permission.

Head of communications at Redrow, Tom Roberts, said: “As a responsible developer we always strive to create sustainable communities, and have an industry-leading strategy to support and improve biodiversity.

"The work currently underway at Hamlet Park is happening on a phased basis under the guidance and supervision of qualified ecologists, who will remain onsite for the duration of construction.

“In line with our placemaking principles, the planning consent granted for the development carefully considers environmental factors, including the provision of suitable long-term habitats for a variety of species and wildlife to thrive including native hedgerows, an orchard, pond, and a wildflower meadow."

Under UK wildlife law, common animals, such as foxes and rabbits, are not protected.