They are regarded as cuddly, loveable creatures immortalised in Richard Adams' classic novel Watership Down.

The general public's view of rabbits could not be further from the truth on the Western Isles where the animal has devoured huge swathes of grass intended for cattle and sheep to graze on over the past eight years.

The problem has become so bad that there are demands for a cull.

There could be as many as 28,000 rabbits in the north of Lewis and a public meeting is being called to address the issue.

Local councillor Kenny MacLeod said they posed a serious threat to the machair, coastal meadows used for grazing and making fodder.

He said the rabbits could be reduced safely by 75per cent.

He pointed to one of the biggest UK culls conducted last year on Canna where 9,000 of the 16,000 rabbits were killed.

Mr MacLeod said: “There are tens of thousands of them. They are on the machair, on the crofts and even round the houses. It has got out of control, so we have to do something."