Many thanks to blog reader Grace Newton, who also happens to be a journalist writing for the Yorkshire Post, who has followed up by writing an article on Tuesday’s blog about hen harrier Harold, who disappeared in suspicious circumstances on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales in September 2020.
The article includes some commentary from Natural England, who said that the grouse moor from where Harold vanished ‘was searched by police several times and nothing was found‘ and that ‘the investigation remains ongoing‘.
The article also suggests that the lame ‘appeal’ (here) put out by Natural England on twitter refers to Harold.
Where is the Natural England appeal about the brood meddled hen harrier #55152 that also vanished in North Yorkshire in September 2020, and hen harrier Fortune who vanished at an undisclosed location in Northumberland, also in September 2020?
The full article in the Yorkshire Post is available here
Raptor Persecution UK 
Thanks Grace for taking the time to write your article on the disappearance of Hen Harriers in the North York Moors area.
It is very sad at a time when the area is getting publicity on BBC highlighting the lovely countryside that the public can enjoy.
By bringing this subject to the attention of your readers it lets the general public see just how our uplands even with Country Parks is being blighted by the practice of managing the land to enable grouse shooting to take place.
A point of clarification – the two North Yorkshire cases fall in the Yorkshire Dales, which is a separate entity from the North York Moors. Good to see the YP reporting on these issues.
Well done Grace & thank you Yorkshire Post.
Interesting because YP oft promote the Amanda & Co. spin about all the conservation work grouse shooters do, so maybe they realise there is serious public interest in the slaughter in them thar hills ….
As for the brood meddling crew championed by (un)Natural England, the truth will out and then we need serious accountability for any shielding criminals? Benefit of doubt is a very thin sheet of ice these days ….
Given the scant resources Forces have, and the limited priority given to wildlife crime (related to my opening point), I wonder what was invested in planning and undertaking the search(es) described.
Well done Grace,keep up the good work and keep bringing things like this to the attention of the general public.
Thank you Grace and thank you to the Yorkshire Post for highlighting this ongoing hideous crime to the general public . Public awareness is what we vitally need to put a stop to these crimes against raptors .
The killing of 3 kestrels since the New Year and that of 48 Harriers since 2018 also needs bringing to public attention .
Whilst we do need and appreciate the publicity around the ongoing illegal wildlife crime, we also need a campaign to engage the general public about being eyes and ears, observing and reporting suspicious activity on and around moorlands. The lockdown suits grouse shooting which for some bizarre reason is deemed permissible despite activity during a chaotic pandemic.
If banning Grouse shooting is a step too far for a Tory government then as in Scotland we urgently need Grouse Moor licensing in England with strict fines, controls and a ‘three strikes and your closed’ rule. Its obvious that the Grouse Shooting industry doesn’t give two hoots about raptor legislation, breaks the law constantly and needs to be disrupted in its current form.