LBC Presenter Jokes About Trapped Fox ‘Left to Waste Away’ in His Car Park

“just let it waste away down there.”

On the cold dawn of 14 October 2025, LBC Radio’s Ian Payne told his listeners a story: one of a fox trapped in his underground car park. Instead of showing concern, he offered mockery, calling the animal “vermin,” laughing about it, and asking whether he should “just let it waste away down there.”

The fox had apparently slipped in on a slope as Payne opened the shutter to leave, which then closed, trapping the animal inside. Payne speculated that since foxes do not understand key fobs, the fox was doomed unless someone else triggered the shutter.

When listeners objected and urged him to contact the RSPCA, Payne’s response was a mix of deflection and derision. He mentioned that one of his producers could call the RSPCA but then compared foxes to rats, joked about “deporting” them, and mocked those who expressed outrage.

“Christ, you’re such a bore… I’m going to report you to the RSPCA for what you have said and done,” one listener said. Payne replied, “All I’ve said is there’s a fox caught… what should I do?”

This was not a trivial radio moment. LBC commands a large national audience, and its hosts help set the tone for how the public perceives animals. When a major broadcaster can repeatedly describe a trapped fox as “vermin” without challenge, it reinforces the idea that wild animals are worthless and undeserving of empathy.

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The Larger Problem: Demonising Foxes in Media

This incident reflects a wider cultural problem. For years, British media outlets have fuelled hostility toward foxes, using loaded language such as “vermin,” “urban pests,” and “carriers of disease.” Rarely do these stories acknowledge that foxes are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or that many of their alleged crimes are exaggerated or misunderstood.

A recent example appeared in mainstream outlets under headlines like “Foxes Terrorise Village by Chewing Car Brake Cables.” The story described drivers in Hampshire who claimed foxes had chewed through wiring, leading some residents to coat their cars in chilli powder or install spiked mats underneath. Other reports warned that foxes were “obsessed” with brake cables because modern car coatings contain traces of animal fat.

Stories like these spread rapidly across news sites and social media. They are rarely questioned, and they play into the same narrative that Ian Payne echoed on air: foxes as aggressors, as nuisances, as enemies. When this framing becomes normal, cruelty and persecution become easier to justify. It leads to calls for culls, relaxed regulations, and a general tolerance of suffering.

The issue is not just one fox in one car park. It is the broader normalisation of contempt toward wildlife.

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Photo by Tj Holowaychuk on Unsplash

Why It Must Be Challenged

Allowing hostile language toward wildlife creates permission for cruelty. When presenters call animals “vermin” on national radio, it shapes public attitudes.

Broadcast reach matters. LBC has hundreds of thousands of daily listeners. What is said on its airwaves influences how people think about animals living around them.

Fox persecution is ongoing. From illegal hunting disguised as “trail hunts” to snaring, poisoning, and habitat loss, foxes face threats across the country. Media hostility adds fuel to this cruelty.

Accountability is needed. Broadcasters must recognise that the way they speak about wildlife has consequences. It is not just entertainment; it affects how animals are treated in the real world.

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Petition and Call to Action

We are launching a petition to LBC Radio, Ian Payne, and Global Media.

Our demands:

1. Provide a public update confirming that the trapped fox has been safely rescued and released.

2. Issue a public statement acknowledging that calling wildlife “vermin” is unacceptable.

3. Commit to improving editorial standards by inviting wildlife experts and broadcasting factual information about urban foxes.

4. Host a dedicated segment on LBC about coexistence with wildlife, featuring rescue professionals and conservation voices.

Sign the petition here:
Please share it widely across social media and with your networks.

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Closing Thoughts

This is not a quirky radio story or harmless banter. It is a clear example of how cruelty toward wildlife becomes normalised in British media. When a national broadcaster laughs about an animal trapped underground and calls them vermin (hate the use of”it”), it signals that mockery and indifference are acceptable responses to suffering.

Foxes are intelligent, social, and adaptable animals. They live among us not because they are invaders, but because our towns and cities have replaced their natural habitats. They deserve empathy and protection, not contempt.

We cannot allow this kind of language to pass without challenge. The way the media speaks about animals shapes how society treats them. Let’s make sure this moment sparks change.

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