Further to today’s earlier blog on the sentencing of Lincolnshire gamekeeper John Bryant who was found guilty of multiple crimes after a police investigation into the illegal killing of a red kite and two buzzards (see here), the RSPB Investigations Team has issued the following press release:
GAMEKEEPER ORDERED TO PAY OVER £7,000 AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY OF POISON AND TRAP-RELATED OFFENCES
- Numerous birds of prey had been poisoned in the Belchford area of Lincolnshire over a number of years, leading to a police investigation.
- Police uncovered large quantities of banned poison and illegal traps on the gamebird shoot.
- The RSPB is urging the government to introduce a licensing scheme for all gamebird shooting, with the sanction to remove licences to shoot if wildlife protection laws are broken, and to act as a meaningful deterrent to bird of prey crimes in particular.
After a two-day trial at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court, John Bryant (40), of West Ashby, Horncastle was found guilty on 7 March 2025 in relation to four offences. He was sentenced on 20 March 2025 and ordered to pay £7,449 in total – including £2112 in fines for the four offences, £4,492 in costs and a victim surcharge of £845. The court heard how a number of birds of prey were found poisoned in the Belchford area over several years, and how Lincolnshire Police then led a multi-agency search on a pheasant and partridge shoot at Grange Farms, West Ashby in October 2022 together with the RSPB, National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and Natural England.
This case is yet another example of why the RSPB is urging Westminster to introduce a system of licensing for gamebird shooting, to afford birds of prey better protection, and to follow Scotland’s lead on licensing all grouse shooting as a positive start.
Bryant, a gamekeeper and farmer, pleaded guilty to two offences relating to the illegal storage and usage of Alphachloralose. Alphachloralose can be legally used as a poison for rodents using products at 4% concentration or lower. However, during a search of his home, police found the poison illegally decanted into pots in the suspect’s vehicle and outbuilding. These two pots were tested under the WIIS (Wildlife Incident Investigations Scheme) run by Natural England, and found to contain banned and highly dangerous levels (85% and 88%) of the deadly substance. Alphachloralose remains one of the most common substances used for poisoning birds of prey.
Bryant was also found guilty of two offences relating to the possession of two pole traps, deemed as items capable of committing a wildlife offence. Police found unset spring traps (similar to a powerful mouse trap) hanging from wooden posts at two locations on land managed by Bryant. This set up is commonly recognized as a pole trap, used to catch and brutally injure birds of prey that perch on the post when hunting. Pole traps have been banned since 1904.
Forensic DNA analysis conducted by SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) found traces of Tawny Owl and wood pigeon DNA on one spring trap and the other spring trap tested positive for wood pigeon DNA. Bryant was found not guilty of setting any pole traps.
The District Judge said he found it unrealistic that Bryant would not have known the pole traps were on his land, which had been part of his defence.
Police also found four unset gin traps in an outbuilding belonging to the suspect. Forensic DNA analysis conducted by SASA found bird of prey DNA on three of the gin traps (a mechanical device, illegal in the UK since 1958, designed to catch an animal by the leg using spring-operated jaws). Two had Buzzard DNA on them, with a Sparrowhawk feather identified in the jaws of a third trap. Bryant was charged in relation to possession of the gin traps being items capable of committing a wildlife offence, but was found not guilty.
Several birds of prey have been found poisoned in the Belchford area over a number of years. In 2022 a Buzzard was found poisoned by Alphachloralose. In 2020 another Buzzard was killed having ingested the banned insecticide Aldicarb, and in 2017 a Red Kite was killed by Alphachloralose. Bryant was not charged in relation to poisoning any of these birds.
It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Yet the persecution of raptors persists, particularly in connection with land managed for gamebird shooting. Of all individuals convicted of bird of prey persecution-related offences from 2009 to 2023, 68% have been gamekeepers.
Howard Jones, RSPB Senior Investigations Officer, said:
“This case highlights the immense value of police searches in relation to bird of prey persecution which clearly has been an issue in this area. This search found illegal poisons being used in a hugely dangerous manner, putting the public and wildlife at risk, along with a number of illegal traps.
“We are urging the UK Government to introduce a system of licensing for all gamebird shooting, whereby this licence to operate could be revoked if crimes against birds of prey are detected on an estate. This would set a better precedent and act as a greater deterrent to those tempted to commit these crimes. “We thank Lincolnshire Police, and in particular DC Aaron Flint, on an excellent investigation into this case, demonstrating the value in strong partnership working in tackling bird of prey persecution“.
DC Aaron Flint, Forces Wildlife Crime Officer at Lincolnshire Police, said:
“Unfortunately, this case is just one of a large number of bird of prey poisonings reported in Lincolnshire in recent years. However, the outcome demonstrates that Lincolnshire Police takes bird of prey persecution seriously. We thoroughly investigate any reports that relate to criminal activity around birds of prey. Our message is this: If you commit crimes against wildlife in Lincolnshire, we will identify you and you will be put before the courts.
“This investigation was made possible through close collaboration with multiple agencies, and I want to express my gratitude to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, the RSPB, Natural England, CPS and SASA for their invaluable support. The Forensic Analysis Fund also played a vital role in advancing this investigation“.
Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit:
“Thanks to the work of Police and Partners we have seen justice delivered. This conviction sends a strong message that bird of prey crime will not be tolerated, and you will feel the full force of the national policing capability. These offences are not only cruel, the undermine the conservation of our vulnerable wildlife. These birds should be free for us all to enjoy, not consigned to a police evidence bags.”
If you notice a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances, call the Police on 101 and fill in the RSPB’s online reporting form: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wild-bird-crime-report-form
If you have information about anyone killing birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.
ENDS
Well done to Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Team and the partner agencies whose hard work resulted in Bryant’s conviction.
£7,000 is a relatively small fine given the seriousness of Bryant’s crimes, although when compared with some of the recent pathetic fines handed out by courts for wildlife crimes, this figure can be viewed as being substantial.
I’ve also been told by a blog reader who was observing proceedings in court, that it was mentioned that Bryant’s defence costs were £100,000. If that figure is accurate then he certainly has taken a big financial hit.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Well done Lincolnshire Rural Crime action unit and RSPB and all involved in bringing these poor creatures justice but he should be jailed locked away from harming anything else. [Ed: rest of comment deleted as libellous]
“He was sentenced on 20 March 2025 and ordered to pay £7,449 in total”
” it was mentioned that Bryant’s defence costs were £100,000.”
“Bryant was charged in relation to possession of the gin traps being items capable of committing a wildlife offence, but was found not guilty.”
“Several birds of prey have been found poisoned in the Belchford area over a number of years…
… Bryant was not charged in relation to poisoning any of these birds.” – statute of limitations (out of time – Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).
“Bryant, a gamekeeper and farmer, pleaded guilty to two offences relating to the illegal storage and usage of Alphachloralose.”
That is a lot of money for very little return, it seems to me. I wonder why he thought it was worth it? More a very wealthy farmer, perhaps, than a mere ‘gamekeeper’?
Or… someone else picking up the bill?
The whole thing sucks and as a Lincolnshire lass I’m utterly ashamed. It’s long overdue all of this was totally illegal all shooting was banned and any persecution of Raptors then carries a sentence of not less than 25 years in solitary.
It’s highly likely someone else picked up the bill, however you’re right, possibly paid by him perhaps a wealthy farmer. Farmers cry on to be hard up all the time yet drive round in brand new 4×4 ‘s, have the latest £100,000 ‘s hi-tec machinery and the latest state of the art tractors. Maybe he just picked up the £7,449
I’d bet he has one of the most nature depleted farms around.
Don’t understand how he could have been found ‘not guilty’ regarding the gin traps when he was found in possession of them.
Regards the gin traps – given the extraordinary lengths the judiciary tend to go to in order to find “reasonable doubt” and clear keepers – god knows what BS they might have accepted!
I haven’t a clue what was said in the legal process in this case so only putting forward what occurs to me – the defence could have said that he bought them* recently in that condition for decorative purposes.
*gin traps and other similar trap types that are banned for practical use in the UK do regularly crop up for sale on antique websites, field sports websites, car boot / collectors fairs, auctions and on Etsy and eBay
Sounds total shit to anyone with any common sense, but who knows?
Thanks for pointing that out Spaghnum.
A custodial sentence would have been more appropriate. The mere fact that he would not be at liberty to persecute our wildlife for however short a period it may have been would be of benefit to those unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Though I’m not entirely sure £100,000 defence costs would be right for a magistrates case although the case has gone on a long time so maybe had many hearings (not doubting the site reader who pointed it out) I could understand it for a crown court hearing and also seeing as the prosecution costs were so much less at £4492
But I could be wrong, I’m no expert on the costs of cases.
p.s I haven’t forgotten some farmers may be hard up / struggling.
Thanks, Tim. There was also a hearing at Crown Court about his firearms licence – blog coming shortly – so that may account for the estimated £100,000 defence costs.
I hope if this man is a member of the gamekeepers organisation he is removed promptly because all these so called gamekeepers are doing is ruining the lives and reputations of decent and honest gamekeepers who look after the wildlife of this country.
If every “decent and honest” gamekeeper did the decent and honest thing of giving information about gamekeepers that are involved in wildlife crime – then I would have sympathy for them. As it is, the good ones also keep schtum and often then parade about on social media downplaying and mocking our* interest in the issue.
I myself have moved from a position a bit like yours to now saying to myself, “You want to all sail together in the same ship and only fire outwards? Righto, then. Do that. Then lets see your whole stinking ship sink together.”
*our = people who recognise the scale of the issue and endeavour to help stop it.
Given the ease the poison and traps were found, I struggle to comprehend why more aren’t found, especially on the Grouse moors. Farmers in general are pretty thick, leaving stuff in plain sight, surely a few trailcams could sort it. And tbh, the fines are pathetic.
Hi Mark, gamekeeper efforts to kill raptors on grouse moors – and the (mainly) RSPB Investigations efforts to thwart them is a very different type of cat & mouse game (warfare!) compared to this case. In this case, I would say this moron naively/arrogantly believed he was so far under the radar that he could be quite bold and reckless to get easy results – without faffing around with clever cloak & dagger tactics.
By contrast, on the grouse moors in the main grouse regions (Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors, Bowland, Peak District, North Pennines, Lammermuirs & Moorfoots, Angus Glens, etc, etc etc) the keepers know fine and well that they are potentially being watched at some point by somebody.
The keepers & their friends, and the RSPB & their friends, often tend to know who each other are and what types of things they may be up to. Both parties are constantly second guessing what their opponents are doing and trying new things to get results. There’s a good blog article about tactics shifting in recent years on the RSPB website :
https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/investigations/posts/raptors-killers-the-arms-race
Like others here, I am rather confused as to how someone can be found not guilty of possessing illegal traps even when raptor DNA is found on them and they are hanging in his out-buildings? Surely there is sufficient proof there that he was the owner and the traps had been used in wildlife crimes?
I get so frustrated when these magistrates, sheriffs, judges do not go for the upper end of the penalties available to them. They should be made to justify their sentences.
As for finding him not guilty on the charges relating to both pole traps and gin traps, how? They were there, in his possession! What definition of guilty are they using?
Bryant was guilty of offences in relation to the possession of the pole traps, but not for setting them (presumably because the ones found at the pheasant release pens were un-set).
Re the gin traps – it’s not an offence to be in possession of a gin trap per se, but it is an offence to be in possession of one for ‘an unlawful purpose‘. Given the gin traps found in Bryant’s garage were unset, it’d be pretty difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he was intending to use them ‘for an unlawful purpose’.
Nice to hear Bryant lost his shotgun license. I do hope he is now bankrupt. Custodial sentence would have been appropriate for the xxxxx. As for the charges xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx :- To quote Dickens “ the law is a ass” .
I strongly suspect there are a lot more individuals like Bryant living and operating in our countryside and managing pheasant / game bird shoots in a similar manner. Many of these shoots are on private land where what is taking place is well away from where members of the public might see and report what is happening. I suspect the only real way to curtail this criminal activity is to require all land where game bird shooting is to take place to be licensed, with robust regulations regarding what activities are permitted under the licensing, and where the police, NE and other authorised persons can turn up unannounced and carry out inspections. I think most of us by now have realised that the game shooting industry operates as an umbrella under which a lot of serious and organised wildlife crime is taking place. Politicians need to open their eyes and wake up to what is going on, and put in place effective legislation to drive out the criminals. It is probably wishful thinking to want all shooting banned, but it shouldn’t be wishful thinking to wanting the criminals effectively dealt with.