Claire Dinsdale QPM, the wildlife crime officer who was leading on the Dorset eagle poisoning case until senior officers decided to close the investigation prematurely after what looked suspiciously like political interference (here), has left Dorset Police and has taken up a new role with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).
This is really good news! Claire was held in very high regard by those involved in tackling wildlife crime and her dedication to the role saw her contributing thousands of hours of her own time, on top of her normal police duties, to gather evidence to identify suspects and increase the chances of them being charged. She was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2020 for her efforts.
A twitter spat with local Conservative MP Chris Loder, followed by senior officers’ inexplicable decision to block the investigation into the poisoned eagle, led to Claire going on long-term sick leave in March this year.
I’m delighted to see her move to the NWCU where hopefully her contributions will be valued and supported.
Raptor Persecution UK 
A brave committed lady, we need more good news like this. Hopefully she will be able to shed light where hitherto there has been Tory darkness, especially surrounding the bTb debacle with our badger population.
She’s going to be investigating crimes Roger. NWCU has nothing to do with the badger cull which is an DEFRA operation carried out under licences issued by Natural England.
These people should hang there heads in shame but there are so many of the hunting brigade in government it is only to be expected it makes a mockery of the laws in the U.K.
Claire is such a force for good. To have lost her skills and tenacity would have been a travesty.
Best wishes to you Claire and may you thrive in your new role.
Yes, brilliant news. Let’s hope she doesn’t succumb to more interference from our “wonderful leaders”!
Congratulations Claire! You were obviously doing your job in Dorset too well!
thats great news fair play to him, here in Northern Ireland residents of an area called Craigavon have brought the local council to court as the council are planning to demolish a public park[craigavon city park] every type of wild bird, kingfishers, owls +++ animals such as Otters, Pine Martins +++ will lose their habitate resulting of course to their demise, the park has just won the Fields In Trust top best park award 2022, this is the third time in the last few years it has won this.
Is she already in post? I hope so!
We need decent, honourable, determined, knowledgeable people who CARE! Thank goodness you applied for the job. Best wishes Claire! 👍😀.
Really good news!
I fully support Claire, but view the move with some suspicion. Ity allows the Dorset Police the best way out of a bad situation and places Claire in a position where she has no way of guiding the response in regards to whatever she may find and bound to secrecy. Most people have more faith in the integrity of these Government watchdogs that I ever have given the history of these things. If Government control it they also have the infleunce to structure it to their requirements…. and their aim, to be fair, rarely seems on a parallel with ours. The “debates” in Westminster regarding grouse moors should tell us all a story.
All that glitters is not gold but at least it gives Claire a decent income rather than being discarded and possibly then mired in legal issues.
George M, there was zero chance that Claire could have made a meaningful response in the situation she was in. She is likely to have lost her job if she has not has this opportunity.
As you do, I wish her all the best in her new position.
George, surely this isn’t a Govt watchdog but an element of the police service
Splendid news. Wishing Clare every happiness and success. Nice one 👍.
This is indeed good news but the people and wildlife of Dorset will miss her dedication due to all intents and purposes illegal political interference in police processes during an investigation. Dorset police may never recover from that shame in the eyes of conservationists. Good luck in the new job Claire.
Very best wishes to you Ms Dinsdale in your new role with the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
It was sad news that you had to resign from the excellent job you were doing with Dorset Police.
Everything stinks of illegal political interference in the investigation of the poisoned, and therefore murdered, eagle.
This pathetic government we are currently suffering have no regard for the environment and all the wildlife in its many forms. There are many, it seems, who are very much hand-in-hand with the grouse moor owners and those that cause such deaths of the wildlife as well as illegally interfering to hide the evidence or change the outcome.
The local Dorset Conservative MP Mr Loder being one of many it would appear.
Totally deplorable in every way
Very good news indeed. We wish her all success in her new post. Hopefully she left without a NDA around her neck and we can look forward to the book.
That’s really great news. I wish you lots of success in your new role. I am sure you will be treated with much more respect than you were in your last post.
Some good news for a change and here’s wishing Claire all the very best in her new role.
Great news. If 85% of the population is against amimal cruelty, there must be more compassionate cops out there too.
Congratulations to you Clare on taking up your new post. I sincerely hope you get the backing you so thoroughly deserve from your colleagues in this new role and not be ‘gagged’ when investigating wildlife crimes.
I’m afraid it is not necessarily good news for wildlife crime law enforcement! Claire resigned from an operational role as a warranted police wildlife crime officer and has now taken up a part-time role as a civilian training administrator with the National Wildlife Crime Unit. As much as Claire will undoubtedly be an asset to the NWCU – and all credit to them for offering her that lifeline – it’s a move that signifies a huge loss to police wildlife crime enforcement on the ground in Dorset, where her commitment and vast experience was renowned and will be sorely missed. Many will feel that what happened in this case is typical of the everyday corruption that exists between ‘field sports’ supporters and certain people in positions of power and influence. I’m grateful that you and Chris tirelessly seek to confront those responsible.
Has the Roy Dennis Foundation and Forestry England still not made a complaint to the IOPC about this case?