Hot on the heels of a multi-agency raid in Lincolnshire earlier this week in relation to the suspected poisoning of three birds of prey (here), news has emerged that ANOTHER multi-agency raid took place on Friday 7th October, this time in Shropshire.
The team included police officers from the Shropshire Rural Crime & Wildlife Team, Natural England and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Several items are reported to have been seized and will be sent for forensic examination. No further details have been publicised.
Well done to West Mercia Police for getting this news out on the same day as the raid, and well done to all the multi-agency partners for another excellent response to reports of suspected raptor persecution.
This latest multi-agency raid is the latest in a surge of similar investigations in response to raptor persecution crimes over the last couple of years, including a raid in Wiltshire on 23rd September 2020 (here), a raid in Suffolk on 18th January 2021 (here), a raid in January 2021 in Nottinghamshire (here), on 15th March 2021 a raid in Lincolnshire (see here), on 18th March 2021 a raid in Dorset (here), on 26th March 2021 a raid in Devon (see here), on 21st April 2021 a raid in Teesdale (here), on 2nd August 2021 another raid in Shropshire (here), on 12th August 2021 a raid in Herefordshire (here), on 14th September 2021 a raid in Norfolk (here), a raid in Wales in October 2021 (here) a raid in Humberside on 10th December 2021 (here), a raid in North Wales on 8th February 2022 (here) another raid in Suffolk on 22nd April 2022 (here), another raid in Norfolk on 29th April 2022 (here), and another raid in Lincolnshire on 4th October 2022 (here).
The majority of these cases are ongoing, or have progressed to impending court hearings, but a few have concluded, resulting in the conviction of criminal gamekeepers. These include:
*The Nottinghamshire case (from January 2021) where gamekeeper John Orrey was sentenced in January 2022 for battering to death two buzzards he’d caught inside a trap (here);
*The Suffolk case (also from January 2021) where gamekeeper Shane Leech was convicted of firearms and pesticides offences in November 2021 after the discovery of a poisoned buzzard found close to pheasant-rearing pens in Lakenheath (here);
*The Wales case (from October 2021) where gamekeeper David Matthews was convicted in June 2022 for pesticide offences following the discovery of a poisoned red kite and a shot red kite at a pheasant release pen on the McAlpine Estate in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, North Wales (see here);
*The Wiltshire case (from September 2020) where gamekeeper Archie Watson was convicted in June 2022 after the discovery of at least 15 dead buzzards and red kites were found dumped in a well on a pheasant shoot on Galteemore Farm in Beckhampton (here);
*The Norfolk case (from September 2021) where gamekeeper Matthew Stroud was convicted in October 2022 for the poisoning of at least five buzzards and a goshawk, amongst other offences, on a pheasant shoot at Weeting, near Thetford (here).
Raptor Persecution UK 
Gosh…youd almost think game shooting had an endemic criminality problem…wouldnt you?
Dave, I fear there will be a major cider drought this year. So many bad apples.
Simply amazing! Well done ‘our own’ West Mercia Police Force and joined Multi-agencies. Raptor Persecution as to ‘Stop’ and you are helping by leading the way. THANK YOU.
pleased to see the Police finally taking action against this xxxxxx. What helps is that this xxxxx also commit firearms and poisonous substances offences as well which maybe the Police take more seriously
Sadly, it just goes on and on, these deplorable and detestable attacks on raptors.
Our court system needs to be far more robust in getting these cases to court quicker and dealing with the offenders with heavy fines and long prison sentences in prison. Hopefully, so it will deter others from committing similar atrocities.
Well done to all of those members of the multi agencies in their successful raid of yet another premises for their crimes against nature. Hopefully the perpetrators will eventually be up in court and prosecuted
Just thought I’d add a cheerful note. On 8th October as the bride and groom walked out of St Mary’s in Amersham, I looked up to see two red kites circling above.
Well done, Ruth. The pressure from RPUK and your unflagging efforts to raise public awareness through diligent reporting must be a significant factor in this recent improvement in the police response. Long may it continue.