AN animal lover has set up a petition in the hope it will garner enough signatures to ban the use and sale of ‘inhumane’ and ‘evil’ glue traps.

Andy Richards, who runs cat rescue centre, Friends of the Cats, in Accrington, wants to petition parliament, after finding a tiny mouse stuck to a glue trap, unable to free itself.

Mr Richards said: “As part of the work I do at the rescue centre, I feed a group of stray cats in one of the alleys off Blackburn Road.

“I was feeding them last week when I saw out of the corner of my eye, a huge glue trap with a mouse stuck to it.

“It was stuck fast and there was no way it could get off.

“These things are designed to get whatever comes into contact with them stuck so they can’t move.”

Mr Richards said that unlike normal rat or mouse traps that are designed to kill rodents, the glue traps are stressful for any creature that gets stuck on one, and if left, the animal will more than likely suffer a prolonged and drawn out death.

The 58-year-old said: “I set up a petition because I want the issue debated in parliament.

“These instruments of torture need to be banned. They have no place in a civilised society. They’re evil.”

Mr Richards was able to save the little mouse, who he named Mickey, by rushing him to the vets.

He said: “The vet rubbed something called ‘eaze off’ on him and he came free. I then released him in Platts Lodge in Accrington.

“I’ve since done some research and found horror stories about all sorts of animals becoming trapped on these things - birds, kittens, fox cubs.

“The glue is really strong and the traps are just inhumane.”

To sign Mr Richard’s petition, and help ban the sale of glue traps, visit petition.parliament.uk/petitions/262769