Following yesterday’s story on the shot buzzard found dead in the Scottish Borders, we tweeted Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse and asked him this:
@PaulWheelhouse Minister, are you now ready to take the action you promised? Another raptor crime on your watch.
To his credit, he responded this morning:
@RaptorPersScot I will say more when I have a full briefing but my first reaction is instinctive – I’m both disgusted and very much angered.
We wait with interest…
Raptor Persecution UK 
I wonder if he will remark on the excessive time taken by the police to go public and request information. That recurrent theme in persecution cases is an obvious hindrance to bringing the criminals to justice.
I’m not sure we should be being so critical of the police – on this occasion! – if they were genuinely trying to investigate what happened here [putting out local “feelers”, interviewing local firearms licence holders, forestry staff, landowner, shepherds..and, oh yes..local gamekeepers] that could all take a couple of weeks. The last thing you want is everyone knowing you’re coming.
You’ve also got a new WCO who has done the right thing in widely publicising what was in the very recent past, seen as a minor occurrence…give her some slack I would suggest, she may already be getting criticism from senior officers in her own Force?
Point taken, Dave. However, I doubt if the police can actually do very much clandestine work in rural communities. Bush telegraph works rapidly in such areas and word police activity quickly spreads.