A BALLSY urban fox has been pictured casually eating some discarded chips at the side of the road in Barrow town centre.

Kirsty Jepson took the photo last night when she was gobsmacked to spot the animal in Ironworks Road in Barrow.

Miss Jepson said: "I couldn't believe it made eye contact then carried on eating. Wonder if there's babies somewhere and it was getting food for them.

"I've never seen one so close apart from one in captivity; they amaze me.

"There was a cup like a chippy cup that it was eating from and chips scattered round so it was eating someone's left over chippy I guess. I hate litterbugs but I think this fox was grateful!"

Urban foxes tend to live in family groups comprising one dog (male), a dominant vixen (female) and subordinate vixens which may be the young of the previous year.

The group defends a territory located within a larger home range (foraging area) which may overlap with that of other groups.

Territories in urban areas are typically much smaller than in the surrounding countryside.

Foxes breed once a year, with cubs being born during March and April.

The average litter size is 4 or 5.

The cubs start venturing in the open from late April onwards, and will normally stay with the vixen until the autumn, with some remaining until January.