Burrowing badgers evicted from a Cumnor Hill sett to allow roadworks to be carried out has returned and prevented bulldozers from moving in.

Last year it was discovered a network of badgers had undermined an 80-metre section of road between Botley and Cumnor and repair work was needed.

The sett was closed and nine weeks of work to the road, between Arnold's Way and Delamere Way in Cumnor Hill, was scheduled to begin this month.

But the protected animals are back and cannot be moved again until the breeding season is over in May, forcing planners back to the drawing board.

Dr Philip Hawtin, chairman of Cumnor Parish Council, said: “This is definitely a case of badgers one — engineers nil.

“The work does need to be done, the county council weren’t exaggerating that, but you have to have a sense of humour about these things.

“And it would seem in this case, the badgers have outwitted us. Plain and simple.”

Years of damage caused by the badgers was first discovered beneath the road in September last year.

Oxfordshire Highways, the county council department responsible for the work, applied for a licence from Natural England to close the sett throughout September and October.

But, now the animals have reoccupied the land around their original home, Natural England have revoked the licence to protect the animals and their cubs.

Julia Hammett, chairman of the Oxfordshire Badger Group, has met Oxfordshire Highways officers to discuss the issue.

She said: “The sett is around 60 to 80 years old, older than the houses in the area.

“They didn’t relocate the badgers as was previously thought, which is a very expensive process, they simply closed the sett.

“It isn’t surprising they have returned. This is nature’s way of saying we’ve got nowhere else to go.”

Jenny Shepherd, a district councillor for North Hinksey, said: “It is rather funny and something of a victory for the badgers.

“I can just imagine them with their sticks and little spotted handkerchief bundles, moving back in.

“On a slightly more serious note, it will probably work out better for everyone now the work looks set to be shifted closer to the summer holidays, when there won’t be so much traffic on the road.”

Oxfordshire County Council could not confirm when the repairs, which would have redirected drivers via the A420 from Cumnor to the Botley roundabout for the next six weeks, would be rescheduled.

But Ian Hudspeth, the cabinet member for transport, said: “There is no danger to road users because of the delay, although obviously we will constantly monitor the situation.”