A pilot study to examine the impacts of releasing non-native gamebirds (pheasants & red-legged partridges) into the Cairngorms National Park is due to begin this spring, according to an article published by The Ferret.
Captive-bred non-native pheasants in pretty poor condition being transported for release into the UK countryside. Photo by Ruth Tingay
The pilot study looks to be the start of a wider and long-overdue assessment of the impact of these releases across Scotland, based on FoI documents from NatureScot compiled by journalists at The Ferret (well worth reading those documents, here).
The Ferret suggests that the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) will be undertaking the study. This is a charity that relies heavily upon funding from the gamebird shooting industry. Talk about marking your own homework!
A GWCT spokesperson is quoted in The Ferret article:
“The pilot project to begin looking at the numbers of gamebirds released within the Cairngorms National Park has not yet taken place, but is due to start this spring once the plan for it has been finalised“.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing the GWCT’s proposed methods and justification for undertaking a pilot study in the spring – a time of year when gamebird numbers will be at their lowest after the end of the winter and the end of the shooting season, instead of planning to do it in the autumn when these birds are released in their millions and thus at their most abundant / causing the most damage.
There’s also a hilarious quote from NatureScot:
“Currently, there is little evidence to show that gamebirds are causing damage to protected areas in Scotland, but we will continue to monitor the situation closely“.
‘We will continue to monitor the situation closely’ can be translated as, ‘We’ve ignored this issue for years so of course we don’t have any evidence of damage, because we haven’t been looking!’.
The issue of releasing non-native gamebirds into the Cairngorms National Park has been the subject of a number of blogs on the excellent ParkswatchScotland website over the years (e.g. here in 2017 and here in 2020). Nick Kempe, the blog’s author, has repeatedly questioned why this issue hasn’t featured in the Cairngorms National Park’s Management Plans.
It was, finally, included in the latest Management Plan (2022-2027) despite objections from some members of the Park Authority’s Board in 2021 who just happened to have strong links to the game-shooting industry (see here – and if you’ve got the time it’s worth watching the video of that Board Meeting).
Here’s what the current CNP Management Plan says about gamebird management:
The Management Plan points out:
‘The regulatory framework around releases of species is not consistent at present, meaning that a licence is not required to release pheasants and partridges, but is required to release beavers and red squirrels‘.
Isn’t it about time this inequity between the release of millions of non-native gamebirds and the restoration of a few native species was addressed?
UPDATE 21 November 2025: New report on gamebird releases in Cairngorms National Park doesn’t tell even half the story (here)
A couple of weeks ago conservation campaign group Wild Justice put a full page advert in Private Eye, the UK’s number one best-selling news and current affairs magazine, to draw readers’ attention to the absurd release of over 50 million non-native pheasants into the countryside every year, for shooting.
It was the first of three planned adverts and this one caused quite a reaction, with many people commenting how surprised they were to learn that pheasants were non-native to the UK, let alone that 50 million of them are released into the countryside every year for so-called ‘sport shooting’. The advert also prompted conversations in Whitehall, according to sources.
The gamebird shooting industry wasn’t impressed with this level of awareness-raising amongst the general public and politicians – no surprise really given that they’ve been hoodwinking everyone for decades about how ‘sustainable’ gamebird-shooting is supposed to be.
Imagine Wild Justice’s surprise then when Private Eye got in touch to say it was pulling the other two adverts and didn’t provide any explanation for that decision. You can draw your own conclusions.
Amusingly, since Wild Justice announced the news this morning, Private Eye’s censorship has caused somewhat of a Streisand Effect and many people are now asking to see the other two adverts that Private Eye has refused to publish.
Wild Justice has placed the two remaining ads with another publication and they should be out in the next few weeks. It’s probably best not to name the publication in advance to avoid the possibility of it being nobbled!
For those who wish to support Wild Justice you can sign up for their free newsletter here.
For those who want to see a ban on driven grouse shooting, (not the same as pheasant shooting but just as absurd, for different reasons, and just as mired in wildlife crime) you can sign the Wild Justice petition here (it currently stands at 84,000 signatures and needs 100,00- signatures to trigger a Westminster debate). The petition closes on 22 May 2025.
It would be deliciously sweet if the petition attracted more support as a result of Wild Justice being censored!
UPDATE 27 April 2025: Private Eye ‘explains’ (sort of) its reasons for pulling Wild Justice adverts (here)
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has issued a press release following confirmation that two ravens found dead in December 2024 had been poisoned.
PSNI press release (3 April 2025):
INVESTIGATION AFTER TWO RAVENS CONFIRMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY POISONED
Police in Newry have commenced an investigation after two ravens were confirmed to have been fatally poisoned in Poyntzpass.
Testing determined that the birds, which were found in a field in the Drumbanagher Wall area in December, had consumed high levels of the rodenticide Chloralose, and Bendiocarb, an insecticide and concluded this was likely an abuse case, potentially causing their deaths.
Superintendent Johnston McDowell, the Police Service lead for Wildlife Crime and Animal Welfare, said: “These birds should have been safe in the wild and yet someone has sought to intentionally poison them. This is not the first time we have had reports of this nature in the area and it saddens me that our incredible wildlife and birds are being killed. They are a beautiful asset to our countryside that we should work to protect.
“It’s important that anyone who comes across dead birds, which they believe to have been poisoned, shot, illegally trapped or even taken to sell, that they report their find to PSNI immediately and do not handle them. The poisons being used are deadly not only to birds and wildlife but also to humans and chances should never be taken when potentially dealing with such chemicals.”
The Health and Safety Executive NI, one of the enforcing authorities responsible for Biocidal Product Regulations in Northern Ireland, said: “Where duty-holders are found to have incorrectly used or have misused biocidal products or continue to use or store biocidal products that have been withdrawn from the market, HSENI will take appropriate enforcement action to achieve compliance. This highlights the importance of responsible use of all chemicals including biocidal products.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said: “Illegal poisoning of birds and wildlife is completely reprehensible. It is an offence to supply, store (be in possession of) and use a Plant Protection Product (PPP, or Pesticide), that has been banned or withdrawn. Further it is an offence to use an authorised PPP in contravention of the conditions and the specific restrictions established by the authorisation and specified on the product label. The penalty, if convicted on summary conviction, is a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or on conviction on indictment, to an unlimited fine.”
Superintendent McDowell added: “Along with our partners we will continue to investigate these crimes and seek to prevent further instances whilst bringing offenders to justice.”
If you have any information on this particular incident please quote incident number 723 13/12/25.
ENDS
This isn’t the first time poisoned ravens have been found in Newry. In October 2024 wildlife crime officers ‘visited an estate in Newry to talk to residents and employees about the confirmed poisoning of ravens on two separate occasions‘ (see here, although there are no details about when those two poisoning crimes took place).
It would help if the Department for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) would get on with updating and implementing stronger pesticide legislation in Northern Ireland. It’s not difficult -they just have to write a list of the banned chemicals and add it to the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, as amended. This simple measure is widely supported by over 50,000 people who signed the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group’s recent petition calling for this action.
UPDATE 25 June 2025: Police launch investigation after Red Kite killed in poisoning hotspot (here)
Scottish charity Trees for Life has issued a damning press release about “NatureScot’s mystifying lack of backbone” in relation to a delayed licensing decision on the release of beavers in Glen Affric.
I’ll come to that press release in a second, but it reflects a wider and growing anger amongst conservationists towards NatureScot, and particularly its Wildlife Management department, for some utterly stupid and ill-thought out decisions made in recent months relating to grouse moor licensing and the monitoring of Schedule 1 raptor species.
It’s not just the decisions that have been made, but it’s more about how they were made, with appalling levels of communication, shrouded in secrecy and in some cases, blatant lies have been told. There has been a glaring display of disregard for the views of those in the conservation sector and an overt demonstration of pandering to the demands of landowners, particularly those who own game-shooting estates.
We saw an example of that last autumn/winter when NatureScot made amendments to the grouse moor licences after coming under pressure from the grouse shooting industry. NatureScot didn’t consult with any other stakeholders and instead held secret talks and meetings that resulted in a significantly weakened licence and a massive, gaping loophole that makes enforcement measures for raptor persecution (and other wildlife) crimes on grouse moors pretty much unenforceable (see here). The Scottish Government has acknowledged there are issues and efforts to rectify that mess are ongoing.
There’s also been another NatureScot fiasco running in the background over the last five months relating to licences issued to raptor fieldworkers to monitor Schedule 1 species. I won’t write about that here because it deserves a separate blog or two, which I’ll write soon, but be under no illusion about the levels of anger from a number of conservation organisations about how NatureScot has behaved during the process. There will undoubtedly be repercussions.
And now there’s the beaver licensing fiasco at Glen Affric, with NatureScot being accused by conservationists of “great beaver betrayal” and concerns that some within NatureScot have “succumbed to pressure from outside forces“.
NatureScot’s reputation reached rock bottom in 2018 when it issued a licence to a bunch of predator-hating landowners and gamekeepers to kill ravens in Strathbraan in a five-year experiment, “just to see what happens” (here). That licence was pulled after a successful legal challenge from the Scottish Raptor Study Group resulted in NatureScot’s own scientific advisory committee stating that the scientific rigour of the licence was “completely inadequate” (here).
Since then, relationships between conservationists and NatureScot had improved significantly in recent years, with efforts made by both parties to rebuild trust. It was going well, up until last summer, when it became apparent that someone at NatureScot, or perhaps a couple of them, were clearly making decisions without the ‘openness and transparency” that NatureScot laughingly claims to uphold.
Expect to read more about the fall out, and ramifications, in coming weeks.
Meanwhile, here’s the press release from Trees for Life, issued yesterday:
NATURESCOT ACCUSED OF ‘GREAT BEAVER BETRAYAL’
‘Mystifying’ decision by Scotland’s nature agency comes despite huge public support for return of native species and ‘exemplary’ local consultations
Scottish government agency NatureScot has unexpectedly delayed its decision to grant a licence application for the historic official release of beavers in Glen Affric citing ‘concern among the local community and its representatives’ as a reason for its controversial delay.
Another government agency, Forestry and Land Scotland, submitted a licence application in December, following two years and three phases of extensive local consultation which resulted in two thirds of people involved supporting the release of beavers in the glen.
Steve Micklewright, CEO of Trees for Life said, “This is an astonishing move by NatureScot. After two years of exhaustive consultations that far exceeded the requirements set out by NatureScot and that they have described as exemplary, one has to ask, what more is there to consult on?”
Beavers create wetlands that benefit other wildlife, soak up carbon dioxide, purify water and reduce flooding. They can also bring economic benefits to communities through eco-tourism.
“NatureScot’s mystifying lack of backbone in the face of the nature and climate emergencies betrays so many people in the community who have engaged with this process in good faith and want the hope and renewal beavers would bring,” said Steve Micklewright.
“The agency’s indecision also flies in the face of a Scottish Government directive to its public agencies to return beavers to suitable new areas of the country, and polls showing three-quarters of Scots want to see public bodies delivering on that. Scotland can’t afford its national nature agency to be failing to deliver on its remit on biodiversity in this way. NatureScot needs to be worthy of its name.
“Very senior NatureScot managers were endorsing our gold standard approach to public consultation even after the licence application was submitted, so the fear is agency bosses have succumbed to pressure from outside forces. NatureScot should do the right thing and provide full, transparent answers to explain its inconsistent behaviour.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
In a recent opinion poll conducted for the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, 73% of respondents said Scotland’s public bodies should identify more sites on their land for beavers.
Scotland’s Beaver Strategy, published by NatureScot in 2022, aims to ensure communities are supported to maximise the benefits of beavers, with negative impacts minimised, and to actively expand the beaver population into appropriate areas.
Trees for Life and FLS have been working in partnership for over two years on the Glen Affric proposal, which would have been the first official release of beavers to the northwest Highlands, four centuries since the native species was driven to extinction.
The rigorous consultations have significantly exceeded the requirements of Scotland’s National Beaver Strategy. This includes three rounds of extensive public engagement, resulting in two-thirds (67%) community support as long as conditions are met, and Trees for Life’s appointment of a dedicated Beaver Management Officer from the local area.
UPDATE 14 April 2025: “Something is very wrong at the heart of NatureScot” – opinion piece by farmer & conservationist Tom Bowser (here)
It’ll probably come as no surprise whatsoever to regular readers of this blog to learn that the Moorland Association (grouse moor owners’ lobby group in England) has, in an article published by the Shooting Times this morning, made more false claims about the hen harrier brood meddling trial, this time relating to the findings of the BTO’s recent scientific study on hen harrier population trends.
For new blog readers, the hen harrier brood meddling trial was a conservation sham sanctioned by DEFRA as part of its ludicrous ‘Hen Harrier Action Plan‘ and carried out by Natural England between 2018 – 2024, in cahoots with the very industry responsible for the species’ catastrophic decline in England. In general terms, the plan involved the removal of hen harrier chicks from grouse moors, they were reared in captivity, then released back into the uplands just in time for the start of the grouse-shooting season where many were illegally killed. It was plainly bonkers. For more background see here and here.
You may remember last October the Moorland Association prematurely declared the brood meddling trial “a remarkable success story” and said it had decided to apply to Natural England for a licence to permit the continuation of brood meddling (see here). This happened before Natural England had undertaken a formal scientific review of the trial, which it said would take place by the end of 2024.
In March 2025, Natural England announced the closure of the hen harrier brood meddling trial and published the first of four scientific reports it had commissioned to evaluate the trial. Natural England stated that any decision on the future of brood meddling (e.g. issuing licences for brood meddling to continue) will be based on the findings of those reports. Natural England has not yet published the other three commissioned reports.
The first report it published last month was authored by scientists at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and focused on recent hen harrier population trends. The study used a population modelling approach to try to determine the mechanism behind the sudden increase in the hen harrier population between 2018-2023 and whether that was attributable to the brood meddling trial or to other factors.
The authors used modelling techniques to look at changes in the rates of hen harrier productivity, survival and settlement but there were obvious constraints in the limited data available. They concluded that it was not possible to determine definitively whether the population increase was solely related to brood meddling or whether it was a response to wider environmental drivers (e.g. high prey availability).
As Mark Avery wrote in a recent blog about this study, “Brood meddling of Hen Harrier nests made little or no contribution to the recent rise and fall of the Hen Harrier breeding population. As was predicted in advance, brood meddling is a distraction and an irrelevance“.
The Moorland Association responded to the BTO’s study with a blog posted a few days after the report’s publication (here). It looks to me like an AI-generated appraisal of the study but nevertheless it demonstrates that the Moorland Association was at least aware of the report’s findings.
How on earth then, does the Moorland Association go from that to this, published in the Shooting Times this morning:
In this outrageous article, which is poor even by the Shooting Times‘ low standards, The Moorland Association’s CEO, Andrew Gilruth, claims:
“The seven-year [brood meddling] trial led to the English hen harrier population hitting a 200-year high. The British Trust for Ornithology has concluded that this could only have been achieved through the brood management scheme changing attitudes – a brilliant example of wildlife conflict resolution and co-existence“.
Er, the BTO’s study did not evaluate ‘changing attitudes’ [of grouse moor owners]; it used population modelling to assess hen harrier productivity, survival and settlement, none of which were conclusive to explain the changes in hen harrier population trends!
This looks to me like yet another example of Andrew Gilruth grossly misrepresenting scientific opinion on grouse moor management, for which he has a long-standing reputation (see here). Whether he does this deliberately or whether he’s just incapable of interpretating scientific output is open to question.
The article goes on to suggest that if Natural England doesn’t issue the Moorland Association with a brood meddling licence,
“I fear it will be down to the Moorland Association to ask a judge to decide if Defra’s plan to recover the hen harrier population in England should remain on track“.
If it does end up in a judicial review, which is what Gilruth appears to be threatening, I can think of at least one conservation organisation that would relish the opportunity to intervene in the case.
The IUCN guidelines on species’ translocations are quite clear that one of the fundamental principles in deciding when a translocation/reintroduction is an acceptable option is this:
‘There should generally be strong evidence that the threat(s) that caused any previous extinction have been correctly identified and removed or sufficiently reduced‘.
Given the scandalous continuation of illegal hen harrier persecution on driven grouse moors in the UK (at least 134 hen harriers killed or ‘missing’ in suspicious circumstances since the brood meddling trial began), and that it is widely accepted that illegal persecution continues to be the main threat to hen harrier survival, limiting the species’ distribution and abundance in England, it is clear that the continuation of brood meddling, that isn’t being done solely under the guise of ‘research’ (which is how Natural England got away with the brood meddling trial) should be seen as unlawful if alternative actions (e.g. law enforcement) aren’t considered.
I can understand why Natural England is taking its time to publish all the reports evaluating the brood meddling sham. If it issues a brood meddling licence to the Moorland Association it will almost certainly face a threat of legal action by conservationists. If it doesn’t issue a brood meddling licence to the Moorland Association, it may well face a threat of legal action from the grouse shooting industry.
The RSPCA has issued an appeal for information following the discovery of a dead buzzard that is believed to have been shot.
The buzzard was found by a member of the public near Severn Trent’s Four Ashes Sewage Treatment Works on Enterprise Drive, Wolverhampton, on Wednesday 12 March 2025. It reportedly had ‘pellet wounds to its wing, body and head‘.
The shot buzzard. Photo by RSPCA
There isn’t any information about the type of weapon used (e.g. air rifle, shotgun etc). There were also reports of a second buzzard being killed in the same area but the RSPCA was unable to find a body.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact RSPCA’s appeal line number on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident number 01467643.
This morning DEFRA has announced a series of proposed new (and long-overdue) measures to further limit burning on peatland in England which, if implemented, will not be welcomed by those who own and mismanage moorland for driven grouse shooting.
Peatland burning on a driven grouse moor. Photo: Ruth Tingay
The proposed new measures include significantly increasing the area where the current burning ban is in place, changing the existing definition of ‘deep peat’ from anything over 40cm to anything over 30cm, and revising the existing licensing system to only permit prescribed burning in limited circumstances where there is a strict need (e.g. reducing wildfire risk) and only where the applicant can demonstrate that other methods (e.g. cutting) would not work. The applicant must also ‘show how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future in order to receive a licence‘.
DEFRA has also announced that, ‘The England Peat Map, a detailed, open-access map of England’s peatlands, covering extent, depth, and condition, is being developed by Natural England and will be published later in the spring‘.
Many of these proposed changes to The Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations 2021 were argued for in a legal challenge by Wild Justice in 2021 (see here). The courts did not give permission for the legal challenge to proceed and even refused an appeal against that decision (see here) and yet here we are, four years later, with DEFRA (albeit under a new Government) proposing to introduce some of those very same measures that Wild Justice was calling for! It’s another good example of how campaigners don’t need to win court cases to influence Government policy.
On the face of it, the new proposed measures look like a vast improvement on the Government’s previous regulations in 2021, which were quite rightly criticised by many in the conservation sector for being too weak (e.g. see here), but as ever, the devil will be in the detail.
There is still a strong argument, for example, that ‘peatland’ shouldn’t be defined by peat depth (e.g. see this excellent guest blog from last year in connection with the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Bill).
Then there’s the more obvious argument that a ban on driven grouse shooting would not just stop grouse moors being set alight every year for the sole purpose of artificially increasing the number of red grouse available to be shot, but it would also be good news for all the hen harriers, peregrines, red kites, buzzards, ravens etc etc that are illegally killed on those moors. If you haven’t yet signed Wild Justice’s petition calling for a ban on this so-called ‘sport’ please do so here.
DEFRA has launched an eight-week consultation on the proposed new burning restrictions which will run until 25 May 2025 (see here). As the announcement was only made this morning it’ll take some time to scrutinise the documents but I expect some in the conservation sector will, in due course, provide helpful summaries and guidance for those who wish to participate. I don’t doubt that the grouse shooting industry will be rallying its troops to argue against the new measures.
Here is a copy of DEFRA’s press release from this morning:
NEW PROPOSALS TO BAN HEATHER BURNING ON PEATLAND TO PROTECT AIR, WATER AND WILDLIFE
Extension to ban of burning on deep peat proposed by Government, so that an extra 146,000 hectares are protected.
Peatlands store carbon, improve water quality, provide valuable habitat for wildlife, and help protect communities from flooding
Action will improve air quality in villages, towns and cities, help deliver manifesto commitments to reach Net Zero by 2050 and expand wildlife-rich habitat, as part of our Plan for Change
Nature-rich peatland habitats are to be better protected under plans set out by the Government today (Monday 31 March), which would ban burning on peat in the uplands, improving health and wellbeing of people in nearby communities.
Sometimes described as the country’s lungs, peatlands are a vital resource which can store carbon, reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and support rare wildlife such as the golden plover and curlews. They are also some of our richest habitats for dragonflies with 25 of the UK’s 38 species found on upland peatbogs.
However, 80% of England’s peatlands are currently degraded. Burning on peatland increases heather growth, which dries out the peatland, causing it to actually emit rather than store carbon.
Burning of vegetation including heather on this scale causes the release of harmful smoke into the air, impacting air quality across communities. This includes harmful air pollutants for human health, including ones strongly associated with strokes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and some lung cancers.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:
Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest – home to our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flooding risk.
The UK has 13% of the world’s blanket bog. A rare global habitat, it is a precious part of our national heritage, and that is why we‘re announcing a consultation on these measures to ensure deep peat is better protected.
These changes will benefit communities by improving air and water quality, and protect homes and businesses from flood damage, which supports economic stability and security under our Plan for Change.
If implemented, these changes will increase the area currently protected from 222,000 to more than 368,000 hectares of England’s total 677,250 hectares of deep peat, meaning an area equivalent to the size of Greater London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands put together will now be better protected.
The definition of deep peat will be revised, so that deep peat is counted as anything over 30cms rather than 40cms. The entire area of upland deep peat that is potentially subject to burning will be protected.
This approach is being supported by evidence provided by Natural England. Any prescribed burning would need to be done under strict licence, issued where there is a clear need, for example to reduce wildfire risk.
The consultation will run for eight weeks from today and the public and land managers are urged to have their say. The Government is proposing to refine the existing licencing system whereby applicants need to successfully explain why alternative methods have not or would not work and show how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future in order to receive a licence. One of the grounds to apply for a licence to burn will be to reduce the risk of wildfire, so we can balance environmental protection with practical land management.
UPDATE 8 September 2025: Comprehensive evidence review on effects of grouse moor burning on biodiversity, carbon & water – a report the shooting industry doesn’t seem keen to promote (here)
A trial date has been set for David Campbell, the former Head Gamekeeper of Edradynate Estate in Perthshire, who is accused of murdering a former colleague, Brian Low, whilst Mr Low was walking his dog on Leafy Lane, near the Pitilie Track close to Aberfeldy in February 2024 (see here for background).
At a virtual hearing at the High Court in Glasgow today, 76-year-old David Campbell’s lawyer, Tony Lenehan KC, said Campbell pleaded not guilty to eight charges and lodged a special defence of alibi in connection to the murder charge.
Prosecutors allege Campbell shot retired groundsman Mr Low, having previously shown ‘ill-will and malice’ toward him.
Both the accused and victim were formerly employed on Edradynate Estate. Photo by Ruth Tingay
It is further alleged that prior to the shooting, Campbell had disabled CCTV cameras at Tigh Na Caorann on Crieff Road, Aberfeldy, in an “attempt to conceal” his whereabouts.
Campbell is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the alleged murder weapon, and an airgun, and having replacement tyres fitted on an electric bike between February and May last year. It is alleged that Campbell dumped a number of items, including a box and a cartridge bag, at Aberfeldy Recycling Centre.
Campbell is also accused of being in possession of an airgun between May 11 2017 and February 16 2024 and discharging it without holding an airgun certificate.
Campbell also faces five separate breach of the peace charges spanning between July 1995 and September 2012. He is said to have acted in a disorderly manner, putting three men and a woman in a “state of fear and alarm”. This includes claims he threatened to shoot three of them as well as a dog belonging to another. These allegations relate to incidents said to have happened at Edradynate Estate, in The Square in Aberfeldy, and at Scone Palace in Perth.
Lady Drummond fixed a trial date of 2 February 2026 at the High Court in Glasgow, which is expected to last for three weeks. An intermediate hearing is scheduled in Edinburgh on 4 August.
PLEASE NOTE: As this case is live, comments are turned off until proceedings conclude.
UPDATE 22 November 2025: Pre-trial hearing for ex-gamekeeper accused of shotgun murder of former colleague (here)
Further to the news about the conviction and sentencing of Lincolnshire farmer/gamekeeper John Bryant for multiple offences at Grange Farms, West Ashby in October 2022, relating to an investigation into the illegal persecution of birds of prey (see here, here and here), Lincolnshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has provided some information about the revocation of Bryant’s shotgun and firearms certificates.
Convicted farmer/gamekeeper John Bryant
“We have been asked about his firearms/shotgun certificates.
“As a direct result of this investigation. Both from matters revolving around the storage and security of firearms and ammunition along with this case being brought against him, his authority to possess firearms and shotguns was also withdrawn. In other words, Lincolnshire Police revoked those certificates so he could no longer possess licensable guns.
“This was contested at Lincoln Crown Court whereby his legal team failed to argue the case and judgement was held in support of the Police decision to revoke them.
“This should also stand as a warning to all certificate holders. One criminal act can easily lose you your right to possess firearms, but also the way you store/secure/keep those firearms can also have a huge detrimental impact on those certificates“.
It sounds then, that in addition to the charges against Bryant for the poison and trap offences, there was also an issue about the storage and security of his firearms and ammunition, although I haven’t seen any report of charges being brought against him for those alleged offences, just a revocation of his licences.
Given that the appeal hearing against his firearms and shotgun licence revocations was held at Lincoln Crown Court (date unknown), this probably accounts for at least some of the reported £100,000 costs incurred by Bryant for his defence, as mentioned in court during his sentencing hearing yesterday.
Looking at the account’s for Grange Farms (West Ashby) Ltd, held on Companies House website, which lists Bryant as one of several Directors (here), the family’s company can easily afford to cover Bryant’s own legal costs in addition to the fine and costs he received from the court (£7,449) from the company’s £1 million+ capital and reserves.
I do wonder about the firearms and shotgun revocations though. Can other family members, residing and/or working at the same property, hold their own certificates and thus legitimately keep firearms and shotguns on the premises? And if so, what measures are taken to ensure John Bryant doesn’t have access to them?
These are genuine questions. I’d welcome the opinion of any firearms experts who might be reading this.
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.
An assortment of traps found in Bryant’s garage. Photo: RSPB
One of the gin traps with what look like relatively fresh nettles caught in the jaw. Photo: RSPB
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 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 