Ex-glamour model Jodie Marsh appears in court for her appeal against Uttlesford District Council’s lemur licence decision

Former glamour model Jodie Marsh insisted in court she must rehome lemurs as a matter of “urgency”, as she began her appeal against a decision by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) to reject her application to keep the animals at a private animal sanctuary.

The 45-year-old reality TV personality appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (September 12) and stressed the current owner of the eight animals wants her to care for them.

UDC refused her application for a dangerous wild animal licence at its licensing and environmental health committee on July 15 after councillors were told she had twice taken a baby meerkat she was hand-rearing to a pub. Ms Marsh insisted at that hearing that the animal could not be left alone at the time. The committee was told that on another occasion she took an owl to the pub.

Her rescue centre, Fripps Farm, a community interest company in Lindsell, north of Braintree and Great Dunmow, has provoked opposition and criticism from residents.

During the hearing, the court was told how it would require an expert’s report into allegations about how Ms Marsh handled a goose, as well as questions about the report, a statement from the ex-model and documents the council’s committee had when making its decision.

At the hearing, Ms Marsh was asked how urgent it was the animals are rehomed.

She told the court: “They’re at a private home, and the guy doesn’t want them, he’s not got time for them and he doesn’t want them to go to a zoo.

“They’re not used to being on display and he wants me to take them – he’s not got the time or money to keep looking after them.

“I’ve talked to the owner of Monkey World, which is basically a zoo, and they don’t have space for them and they have a waiting list for all primates.

“There’s a sense of urgency. This has been going on for a year now. I’ve been paying the council insurance for the lemurs and the council made me pay a lot of money towards this.”

District Judge Christopher Williams told the court it would take around six weeks for an expert’s report to be produced. There would then be a period of time for questions for the expert. The next hearing would be in early January.

Representing Ms Marsh, barrister Paul Oakley explained that both parties agree it is a “contested appeal” and that his client may wish to respond to the expert’s report with a witness statement.

Speaking for UDC, solicitor Ian Hunt said the council would want to respond to the expert’s report and any statements made by Ms Marsh.