By TOM LAWRENCE, NEWS REPORTER
Published: 20:33 EST, 4 January 2026 | Updated: 20:46 EST, 4 January 2026
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A group of mating badgers have caused chaos to a countryside village, causing drivers to take a 36-mile detour after roadworks were delayed.
Commuters in Lincolnshire are fuming after Highways bosses announced a six-month delay which had been caused by the animals.
College Road in East Halton was first closed in October after it was deemed unsafe for motorists.
The 2.5 mile road had sunk 2cm and faced a serious risk of collapse due to damage caused by tunnelling badgers.
The route is the quickest way for residents to access northern and western towns in the area, with locals now facing a huge detour.
Repairs were supposed to start on October 13 but have now been halted until the badgers' breeding season is over.
The carriageway is set to stay closed until work can restart on July 1 next year.
Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Rob Waltham, branded the delay as 'frankly outrageous'.
Roadworks in East Halton, Lincolnshire, have been delayed by six months due to a group of mating badgers
He called on Natural England (NE) to take 'urgent, pragmatic action' so the work can be fast-tracked.
He said: 'It is frankly outrageous that protections affecting a handful of badgers during mating season mean six months of total inaction on a failing road.
'An entire village is left to live with danger, disruption and the slow erosion of its local services.
'We respect the importance of protecting wildlife, but the current situation has tipped completely out of balance.
'Farmers are being prevented from running their businesses properly, residents are facing daily disruption, and a vital village post office is now under threat.'
The council attempted to move the badgers away from the area and built an alternative sett to allow the repairs to continue.
However the badgers did not take the bait and returned to their original sett near the road.
One local said: 'Don't seem to be doing well so far! Looks like 1-0 to the Badgers.'
Tunnelling badgers have caused damage to College Road in East Halton (pictured), causing it to sink
'Didn't know badgers have more right than humans shame. Shame the government can't sort themselves out,' another added.
One other local said: 'This road has been collapsing for many years, but rather than addressing it earlier and needing to repair less damage, it's been left until one side of the road has collapsed.
'If things had been better organised, repair could have started after breeding season this summer, as it not like no one knew about the problem then.'
Another resident said: 'Our village shop is closed mostly as it gets no passing trade so why open and our village isn't important clearly.'
Another added: 'The lives of humans are more important than badgers.'
Since full legal protection was introduced in 1992, badger numbers have risen sharply - with estimates suggesting the population has roughly doubled.
A spokesperson for Natural England said: 'We issued North Lincolnshire Council with a licence on 13 October to carry out this work ahead of the badger breeding season.
'In exceptional circumstances, we can grant extensions to licences. We will be discussing next steps with North Lincolnshire Council in the new year.'
Cllr Waltham has also since spoken to Natural England and said he is 'pleased to say I've had a very positive and open conversation with Natural England'.
He said that he 'very much looks forward to working with them in the new year'.
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