BESIEGED on all sides by foresters and woodland owners, (grey) squirrels are now coming in for stick from a most unlikely source.

According to reports in the mainstream press, the owner of a recruitment company recently jumped on LinkedIn to lambast those who did not want to return to the office, saying “they must want to feed the squirrels” and claiming he was “sick and tired” of candidates refusing to be put forward for office-based employment. 

He said: “You want to work from home! So you don’t have to get dressed at 6 am? So you can save money on travel? So you can watch Loose Women* on your lunch break? So that you can feed the squirrels at 11 am in the garden?"

According to reports, his post attracted 3,000 comments (many of which were abusive) and also 50 calls from incensed readers. Contrary to separate reports, none of these were from squirrels.

READ MORE: Grey squirrel could be gene-driven to the edge of extinction

It is not immediately clear whether the individual’s objections are to nourishment being given to red or grey squirrels. Surely no one would begrudge ‘work from homers’ feeding endangered, native red squirrels – clearly a bonus for biodiversity. 

Perhaps the answer for this clearly angry businessman is to recruit grey squirrels. Landowners for one would clearly prefer these blighters to be scoffing peanuts on the production line at a KP factory rather than gnawing bark on beech and hornbeam trees.

* I take a late lunch, so Loose Women (ITV 12.30 to 1.30 pm) is not on my viewing schedule.