One dismayed mum pleaded to Mumsnet: "Just moved into a new house and have an issue with foxes pooing at night in the garden; [the] smell is rancid.

"We have bought a high-powered light which emits a high-pitched sound but that doesn't seem to be acting as a deterrent. Any experience of the optimum way of stopping this?"

Leaving faeces isn't the only issue with having foxes marking their territory on your piece of land.

Foxes are noisy, like to dig up flower beds, and may break into rubbish bins leaving a mess all around your home.

A contributor to Mumsnet could relate to the unpleasantness of having a fox leave their droppings around gardens.

"Our local foxes decided to use our front door as a territory marking point. The smell was unreal," the commentator posted.

"So you need to remove the poo, clean with the strongest cleaner you can get. We used Jeyes Fluid Outdoor Cleaner.

"You can get teabag-type things which you soak and they give off a smell which foxes don't like. Trouble is they are only fractionally less unpleasant than the actual fox poo."

The commentator added: "The best thing we found was using citrus peel - lemons, oranges, grapefruit. Just the peel.

"Leave it where they usually go and places nearby. Worked straightaway and (crossing fingers and toes) never had a problem since. Still do a good clean up first."

Combat Pest Control pointed out that foxes have a "very strong sense of smell", which is why they stay away from odours they don't like the smell of.

Aside from citrus peel, one scent deterrent highly recommended by Combat Pest Control is the mixture of chilli powder and garlic.

The mixture helps deter foxes when sprinkled around the garden, especially in areas where they have left their mark previously.