This is a little shrew I saw on the track this morning. It was sad. He seemed to be intact, no sign of an attack so I hope he had a peaceful passing in the night.

Now, this is important, do not confuse a shrew with a mouse.

Some years ago, I lived in the countryside, where quite a few creatures tend to pop in uninvited. You get used to it, they have as much right to live there as we have.

Every now and then, I would see a small creature scuttle across the floor while I was watching telly. As there was no sign of mouse poo, I just made sure all the food was covered and didn’t fret too much about it.

But, I did notice the little bugger ran across the middle of the floor, not around the edges. Cheeky, and not typical of a mouse.

One morning, sitting in the kitchen, I saw something sauntering across the doorway. I noticed the long snout and realised it was a shrew, not a mouse.

This was good news.

Shrews, unlike mice, are hunters, after live prey. The mostly take beetles, bugs etc.

And they don’t like mice. Apparently, they will even hunt down and kill mice in their territory.

So, if you have a shrew in your house, do not kill it. It is the most eco-friendly mouse inhibitor you will find.

And as far as I can see, they don’t poo all over the place.

For some time, the shrews and I lived in mouse-free harmony. Then one day, I jet washed the kitchen steps and realised I had just flushed away their nest.

They did not take kindly to this, and left.

So then I had the mice.

Not a problem, just cover up the food and keep an eye out for nests. In the country, you will not be rid of them very easily.

Christmas came and I put out a mince pie for Santa.

In the morning, the pie crust had been nibbled in a most un-Santalike way. Very neatly nibbled, no mess and definitely no mouse poo.

Over the next couple of mornings, the piecrust diminished, very tidily. Finally, it was all gone and only the mincemeat remained.

I left the remains to see what happened.

Following morning, the pie had been carefully dragged off the saucer and left in the corner.

A very clear mouse message: “finished with this one – bring me a fresh one. Now!”

I mean, cheeky or what? So I put the remains of the pie back on the saucer.

Next morning, it was gone.

Took a while to find it. Little bugger had hidden it behind the central heating boiler, out of sight.

Well, it was still Christmas, so I put another one down, which was duly nibbled down to the mincemeat.

I ran out of mince pies, so the mice had to go.

I got some traps, the humane ones that just hold the little critter in a tube type box.

Took the miscreant out to the garden and reset the trap.

This went on until I noticed a mouse with a particular black patch on its back.

Next morning – mouse with identical black marking.

Little beasts had realised that if they were willing to spend the night in the trap, they got free board and lodging.

So, I took them to a field half a mile away and dumped them in the verge.

The look of reproach I got from these rodents for banishing them from the comfort and safety of my home actually hurt. It seemed unfair to leave them out in a cold wet field.