Reptile shop owner struggles to keep animals warm

A reptile shop owner has shared his concerns about being able to keep the animals warm during the cold snap as he is struggling to afford the cost of fuel.

Dave Bigsby owns Lily's Reptile Rescue, in Scarborough, which is home to around 25 reptiles, including geckos, bearded dragons, ball pythons, boa constrictors and iguanas.

He said the animals thrive in warm temperatures of around 30C (86F), but the recent snow and ice in Scarborough meant keeping the shop warm was not easy.

Mr Bigsby said he uses diesel heaters to heat the shop, as they are cheaper to run than using electricity, but only has enough fuel left for another 24 hours.

Appealing for help he said: "We have the heating running 24/7 as reptiles need it.

"[We] use diesel heaters, as it's half the cost of using the electric, but we just don't have the funds at the moment to buy more fuel."

Mr Bigsby said he was concerned he may have to start using electric again and feared that could "run another bill up" he would struggle to afford, saying energy costs at the shop could spiral up to £700 per month in the winter.

He went on to say going out to buy more fuel was not easy either as the "footpaths are treacherous, it's just pure ice".

A yellow warning for ice in North Yorkshire ran until midday on Friday.

On Thursday, snow and ice led to a number of road closures in the county, including the A171 and A169, and people being stranded as temperatures dropped below zero.

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