Born Free welcomes ban on glue traps in England
The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 finally came into force on 31st July 2024, making the use of glue traps by the public in England illegal.
Born Free has long supported calls to ban the sale and use of glue traps, due to the immense and prolonged animal suffering they cause to both target and non-target species.
The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 was originally introduced as a Private Member’s Bill by Jane Stevenson MP in June 2021 and has now been implemented. As of today, it is illegal for members of the public in England to use glue traps to capture rodents.
In October 2023, Wales became the first UK nation to implement a full ban on the use of glue traps, and a Bill banning their use in Scotland passed into law in March 2024.
Welcoming the ban, Born Free’s Policy Support Officer Frankie Osuch said: “We’re pleased to see the ban on public use of glue traps finally coming into force in England. However, we’re disappointed that pest controllers can still be granted a licence which permits the use of glue traps under certain circumstances. Born Free believes that the ban should be extended to also include pest control professionals, so that there is an outright ban on the use of these inhumane and indiscriminate traps in England.”