Councillors in Basingstoke have apologised after culling moles at St Peter’s Church in Tadley.

A sign went up on the gates to the church warning locals that moles were being gassed, with one resident telling the Daily Mail that “poisoned moles are lying around dead” in the graveyard.

Church staff said they “knew nothing” of the plans and said the action was organised entirely by the town council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Chair of Tadley Town Council, Avril Burdett, said the decision to gas the moles was “difficult but necessary”.

She explained that the council had been trying to track the moles for several years and that their population had recently spiraled “out of control”.

“There are several reasons,” she said: “The molehills are unsightly, and we have a lot of elderly people visiting the cemetery, we've had problems with molehills causing a trip hazard, as well as very upset people because they've found them on their grave.

“It's rather inappropriate to have burrowing animals around graves.”

Cllr Burdett added: “I’m sorry that we've upset people.”