Derbyshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has issued an appeal for information after the discovery of a critically-injured Goshawk, which had to be euthanised due to the extent of its injuries.
The injured Goshawk was found by a member of the public near Stanton Hall, Stanton by Dale, in south east Derbyshire on Saturday 31 January 2026. A veterinary examination and x-ray revealed the bird had been shot with a shotgun and sustained a right wing fracture, a left wing fracture and a suspected left ulna fracture near the elbow.
Given these injuries, it is likely the Goshawk wasn’t capable of long distance flight from the location where it was shot.
Photographs via Derbyshire Police Rural Crime Team:
The Police are asking the public whether they saw anyone with a gun in the area, whether gunshots were heard, and whether anyone saw any suspicious behaviour.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 and quote incident number 26*68719.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Shotguns should be banned, any idiot can fire in the general vicinity of a bird and have a good chance of hitting it, same goes for game shooters
Absolutely appalling! But why wait 26 days to appeal for information, when it seems so clear cut from the injuries that the bird had been shot, and that the nature of the injuries indicate that the bird had not travelled far…. surely this appeal should have been made first on the 31st of January, that might increase the chances of the perpetrator being caught?
“But why wait 26 days to appeal for information”
You are jumping to conclusions. You have no evidence that the incident was reported to the Police on a Saturday, 31st January – only that the Goshawk was found by a member of the public then, and taken to a veterinary surgery (date and time unspecified) where it was examined and later euthanised…
Who knows how long before it was decided to report the matter to the Police? What the finder’s situation was? How upset they may have been? And then how long before the Police gathered the evidence, arranged photographs, collected x-rays from the vets etc…
The Police aren’t always at fault.
I have NEVER understood why!!!!!
ban the sale or keeping of guns to the general public. Then if a raptor is shot suspect list would be shorter.
A sensible idea, sweetlyversatile – but few governments seem to like sensible ideas. They prefer people to be free to do as they like on the moors.
I agree. The process for giving anybody a licence for a shotgun or a rifle of any sort is too shoddy. One reason is because the price for a licence is so low that ordinary taxpayers are actually being forced to fund something that the vast majority of us oppose and the police do not resource the necessary checks and balances.
Why aren’t these people subject to psychological evaluation before being issued a licence? They should have to pay the cost out of their own pockets. In fact the whole process and administration thereof should be included fully in the cost of applying for a licence.
When was the last time Derbyshire Police successfully initiated a prosecution for raptor persecution without help from the RSPB investigations team. Never ? Try waiting 26 minutes nor 26 days in future.
I do wonder if they have the incorrect Stanton Hall.
The Stanton Hall in the statement (at Stanton by Dale) is a former care home located just off the village’s Main Street. Unless there are shoots nearby, would locals not be surprised to hear gunshot(s) in such close proximity? It also looks to be quite open ground with few stands of trees, and perhaps not typical habitat.
There is another Stanton Hall, at Stanton in Peak, where pheasant shooting does take place, or has taken place nearby, so the sound of shotguns wouldn’t be unusual. Habitat wise, it is more typical for Goshawk.