My neighbours started to feed the foxes in our cul-de-sac late last year.

Now, a number of foxes show up every evening on our road waiting for food.

They make an incredibly loud high-pitched noise throughout the night.

Our cat is terrified to leave the house, more bins are getting ripped open and the noise from foxes fighting wakes us at all hours.

I have asked them to stop – we like the neighbours in question – but they laughed it off, saying the foxes are cute.

What can we do to stop them feeding the foxes – and what can we do to deter the foxes from arriving each night?

Jane Denton, of This is Money, replies: I've got a soft spot for foxes, and wildlife in general. 

Watch a vixen with her young cubs and you'll get a whole new perspective on foxes and their behaviour. 

Foxes often lead tough lives and I think they are smart and adept animals which are often wrongly overlooked, ignored or reviled.

Many have very short lifespans. According to Wildlife Aid, around 100,000 foxes are killed on British roads every year, equating to around 273 per day, or 11 per hour. 

While I champion foxes, I do understand they can cause problems for people, particularly in urban areas. 

You're enduring bin ripping, ear-piercing noises and now own an agoraphobic cat. 

I've spoken to three experts to get their take on your question and outline ways to tackle the problem humanely.  

Should people feed foxes? 

Stacey Fletcher, media and communications officer at Wildlife Aid, says: The red fox began colonising our towns and cities in the 1930s, so they are and will continue to be a staple part of our lives, and feeding them has become a popular pastime over the last decade. 

Feeding foxes isn't illegal, but it definitely doesn't always benefit them.  

Responsible feeding involves promoting an animals' natural and wild instincts. 

This could entail, for instance, placing the food without the animal seeing you, irregularly providing food and not supplying it every day, and scattering the food to encourage foraging.

The pressure of foxes living in close proximity to one and other has intensified the spread of disease and illness in the population, particularly sarcoptic mange, which can be heightened by stress and be caused by competition and injury.

For us, as a wildlife hospital, the over-feeding of foxes causes complications when it comes to diagnosing illnesses, due to some ailments affecting the species neurologically. 

When a fox with an overly-friendly nature arrives at our hospital, we have to determine if it has an illness compromising it neurologically, or if it's a fox being regularly fed by humans.

In reference to bins being ripped open, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure wheelie bins are securely closed, as an easy meal will, of course, be appealing to an opportunistic fox. We can't blame them for that. 

Additionally, cats are usually the species that come out on top in a fox/cat rivalry, with foxes largely wanting to avoid injury, wherever possible.

There are simple methods homeowners can employ to humanely deter foxes, such as the use of citronella sprays or the humane fox repellent, Scoot. A high-pitched sonic alarm could also be used.

These repellents are designed to make the fox feel unwelcome in your garden, without any harm coming to them. Other options include professional humane-deterrence companies, such as Foxolutions or Fox-a-Gon.

Dr Rebecca Machin, scientific and policy officer in the RSPCA Wildlife Team, says: Foxes are amazing animals, and many of us enjoy seeing them in our gardens.

However, our neighbours may not feel the same way, so we advise people to feed foxes with consideration for other people, and for the animals' welfare.

For those who enjoy watching foxes, avoid giving them too much food, as they may come to rely on it, and are more likely to annoy neighbours by burying food or defecating in their gardens. 

It's also important not to hand-feed foxes or try to tame them, as this may encourage them to approach people who don't like them, causing conflict. 

As with dogs and cats, avoid direct contact with fox faeces, as it may contain parasites.

Although it is understandable that you are worried about your cat's safety, it is extremely rare for foxes to harm cats. 

Foxes and cats usually ignore each other, but where there is any conflict, foxes are more often scared off by cats. The risk to cats from other cats, dogs, or indeed people, is much higher.

Although they call throughout the year, foxes normally only scream during the mating season, which peaks in January. So hopefully the foxes you hear will become quieter in the next couple of weeks. 

Foxes use over 20 different calls to communicate during courtship, aggression, play, and between cubs and their mothers. They also groom each other to build social bonds.

How to get rid of foxes in your garden

Machin adds: For those people who don't enjoy foxes in their garden, the most humane and effective way to discourage them is to remove or prevent access to the things that may attract them: food and shelter. 

Removing the foxes themselves won't work in the long run; if food or shelter remains, then other foxes are likely to move into the empty territory.

It is also best to avoid leaving discarded food waste in plastic bags which foxes can easily tear apart, and instead use securely sealed dustbins, or even better, sealable composters. 

If you are feeding wild birds, consider using feeders designed to stop food from spilling onto the ground where foxes can eat it.    

Other ways to humanely deter foxes include keeping garages, greenhouses and shed doors closed, and preventing access to areas under sheds. 

Planting prickly plants around the edges of the garden, or where the foxes tend to come in, can also help. Chemical repellents approved for use with foxes are also available. 

However, it's illegal to use any substance to deter foxes that haven't been approved for that use, and any instructions must be followed carefully.

People should also be careful not to block any foxes in, particularly during the spring when young cubs may be in their dens. 

Foxes spend a lot of time and energy raising their cubs, which are usually born around March. While the mother is safely in her den feeding her cubs milk, the father, and even young vixens, will bring her food.

Whether you welcome these beautiful animals into your garden, or would rather they stayed away, we can all make choices which make a better world for wild animals.

Niall Gallagher, technical and compliance manager at British Pest Control Association, says: We love British wildlife, but occasionally foxes can cause fear, distress and sometimes concerns over health and safety, be it from their faeces in your garden or the safety of your pets.

It's not illegal as such to feed the foxes, however if you have concerns these could be raised with your local Environmental Health officers who may investigate, due to the potential for foxes to leave faeces, spread mange mite to domestic dogs, and encourage rodent activity.

Peak breeding season is in January which can be disruptive, and foxes will use calling or scent-marking with both urine and faeces to lay claim to territory.  

They sometimes like to build a den under a shed by excavating the soil out to create a void.

One solution for smaller areas such as domestic gardens can be a physical deterrent such as fencing.

Foxes can climb and dig, so any barrier should be at least two metres high with an overhang of about 30cm, with the foundation being buried to around 30cm.

While there is no evidence that certain scented plants will deter foxes, there are certain fox repellent products on the market that may be effective, and these can usually be found at garden centres.

However, efficacy can be reduced by determination of foxes wanting to enter the area. If there is plentiful food and/or shelter, then the chance of chemical repellents working will be reduced.

If foxes are causing you concern, we recommend contacting a professional pest management company that specialises in fox control.

They can survey the issue and give advice about what can be done. Their recommendations will be dependent on the site's suitability, the foxes' behaviour and reasons for entering your land.

They will consider a range of options, which could include preventative measures such as ensuring food sources are not available and bins are securely closed and protected to stop foxes getting at household waste.