A wily pest has been foxing groundsmen at Selhurst Park by sneaking past their security to dig up their perfect pitch.

The crafty vulpine has figured out a way to get past an electric fence protecting the football pitch and spends nights causing havoc and feasting on discarded food.

It has had a number of brushes with ground staff, but has so far evaded capture.

Head groundsman Mark Perrin said it was “soul- destroying” to discover the damage after hours of hard work to get the pitch match-perfect for Eagles games.

He said: “Because we have a lot of rubbish and food waste left behind in the stands foxes are attracted into the area.

“If they get on to the pitch, they dig holes and bury bits of food.

“After hours of work it can be a bit soul-destroying to walk in and see huge holes in the pitch.”

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Staff have resorted to shocking the foxes by running an electric current through protective netting around the pitch to keep them away.

Mr Perrin said: “In the four years we have had this netting, we have not had much of a problem with foxes.

“A fox marches up to the netting, has a sniff at it and gets a shock and he won’t go near it again.”

However, one of the pests, who may not have received such a shock the first time it came across the fence, has realised it is able to jump over the electrified netting.

Mr Perrin said: “He or she takes a running jump over the netting on to the pitch and causes havoc.”

Fed up staff have tried to trap the superfox but have had no luck.

However, they hope its scavenging days might be over as a new trap has been ordered to imprison the pest.