Prompted by the damage that squirrels can inflict on woodland and concerned about the suffering the little critters might experience when drowned in ‘humane’ traps (apparently it can take up to 30mins), inventor David Shelton came up with the idea of a quick way of putting them out of their misery.

Squirrels are tempted in through the bottom of the E Skinns trap by the smell of peanut-butter bait and are instantly dispatched by a powerful coil-spring. Supplied in flat-pack form, the stainless steel device costs £50.