When Allan Walker of Westlands Angling, Singleshorne in Hull approached UK manufacturers of steel wire fencing, Hampton Steel Ltd, to produce 2000m of otter fencing to his own specification, Hampton's rose to the challenge with Hampton NET™.
With six lakes set aside for angling and with some prize fish to protect, the safe exclusion of otters is crucial to Mr. Walker, but not at the expense of the landscape; a boundary that could be aesthetically sympathetic was equally as important.
"Some of my neighbours and I have already lost some fish due to otter attacks, I wanted to ensure that the fencing I chose was going to provide the best long term solution in terms of exclusion but it also had to be visually attractive and fit in with the local environment." Said Mr. Walker.
"I purchased from Hampton Steel because they could provide a bespoke fencing option with Hampton NET™. I provided them with my specification for Otter Fencing and they produced it quickly and exactly to my requirements. The quality is outstanding; it's been extremely easy to erect and has out performed all previous types of fencing for the exclusion of otters."
"The hinged upper section has been really beneficial. If an otter manages to scale the vertical mesh, which is difficult due to the height of the fence and size of the mesh, then this top section deters even the most intrepid of them." Said Mr. Walker.
Whilst protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the EC Habitats Directive, otters can be one of the most destructive predators. Hampton's NET™ has smooth knotted joints which lock the vertical and horizontal line wires tight, providing a safe and incredibly strong barrier against these attractive creatures.
A single hinged line is an easy addition to the manufacturing process allowing for an angled upper section of the fence thereby making it virtually impossible for the otter to successfully scale the fence and gain entry.
It is recommended that the lower section be buried to a depth of 400mm to help guard against otters burrowing under the fence.
"We worked closely with Mr. Walker to produce a fencing system that would not only help protect his fish by excluding otters, achieve this without harming the otter, but also be as sympathetic to the surrounding landscape as possible. Fortunately, with Hampton NET™ we have the versatility to fulfill on all counts." Said Peter Matten, Sales Director at Hampton Steel Ltd.
"With Hampton NET™ we can design wire fencing to our customer's specification. Since our £millions investment almost two years ago orders for this European first machine have gone from strength to strength; and what's great is that more customers want to put us to the test with their bespoke specification requests. We have had other similarly challenging applications that would quite simply have fallen short with existing fencing solutions. The versatility and strength provided by Hampton NET™ is quite staggering. One such request was for a bear enclosure at Five Sisters Zoo in Scotland. Height and strength were key, but aesthetics were of equal importance; Hampton NET™ is not only superior in terms of strength and mesh sizes available but you have a boundary that is really sympathetic to the landscape. Hampton NET™ is built to succeed and is only manufactured by Hampton Steel in Northamptonshire. We welcome enquiries from anyone who needs advice on a particular fencing solution.' Said Peter Matten.
"I would definitely recommend Hampton's NET™ for Otter Fencing." Said Mr. Walker
Hampton NET™ is manufactured in the UK to BS EN 10223-5, wire is produced to BS 4102 and is fully galvanised to BS EN 10244-2 Class A.