Tag: barn owl

Police interview second man in relation to dumped hares & raptors outside Broughton community shop

On March 15th 2024 around 50 dead hares and a dead kestrel and barn owl were found dumped outside Broughton community shop in Hampshire, causing widespread revulsion and condemnation across the media (see here).

The kestrel and barn owl had been impaled on the shop door handles and blood & guts had been smeared over the windows. Photo: Broughton Community Shop

Two weeks later Hampshire Constabulary arrested a man on suspicion of a number of offences in relation to this incident (see here).

Yesterday, Hampshire Constabulary issued another press statement, as follows:

MAN INTERVIEWED UNDER CAUTION AS PART OF BROUGHTON WILDLIFE CRIME INVESTIGATION

Officers have questioned a second man in connection with an incident in which dead animals were left outside a shop in Broughton.

On the morning of Friday 15 March, police received reports that around 50 dead hares, a kestrel and a barn owl were found outside Broughton Community Shop in High Street.

Officers from the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Country Watch Team have been following various lines of enquiry as part of the investigation.

As previously mentioned, officers arrested a 37-year-old man from Totton on Thursday 28 March on suspicion of a number of offences, including criminal damage, wildlife and firearms offences.

He was subsequently released on police bail with conditions until Friday 28 June, pending further enquiries.

Yesterday (Tuesday 9 April), a 27-year-old man from Hythe attended a police station on a voluntary basis and was interviewed under caution. He remains under investigation.

Officers continue to investigate the circumstances of this incident.

Anyone who has any further information that may help our enquiries is asked to contact us on 101, quoting the reference number 44240111410, or via our website.

ENDS

Man in custody in relation to dumped hares & raptors outside Broughton community shop

A couple of weeks ago around 50 dead hares and a dead kestrel and barn owl were found dumped outside Broughton community shop in Hampshire, causing widespread revulsion and condemnation across the media (see here).

The kestrel and barn owl had been impaled on the shop door handles and blood & guts had been smeared over the windows. Photo: Broughton Community Shop

Yesterday evening Hampshire Constabulary announced that a man had been arrested and was being held in custody in connection to this horrific incident.

Hampshire Constabulary press release (28 March 2024):

ARREST MADE IN BROUGHTON WILDLIFE CRIME INVESTIGATION

A man has been arrested in connection with an incident where a number of dead animals were left outside a shop in Broughton.

Police were called on the morning of Friday 15 March, after around 50 dead hares, a kestrel and a barn owl were found outside the Broughton Community Shop in High Street.

An investigation was launched and officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Country Watch team have been following various lines of enquiry.

Part of our enquiries have included examinations of the barn owl and kestrel. Those examinations revealed that both birds had been shot with a firearm. Both the kestrel and the barn owl are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, giving them legal protection.

Today (Thursday 28 March), officers have arrested a 37-year-old man from Totton on suspicion of the following offences:

  • Criminal Damage
  • Night Poaching
  • An offence under the Public Order Act
  • Killing of a Schedule 1 bird
  • An offence under the Animal Welfare Act
  • Killing of Brown Hare in the closed season
  • An offence under the Firearms Act

He remains in police custody while we carry out our enquiries.

Country Watch Sergeant Stuart Ross said: “Since this incident took place, we have been actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and working with partner agencies to establish the circumstances of what happened.

“We are grateful for the help we have received from the local community and we’d like to thank them for their patience while we investigate what happened.

“There may be some people with information who have not yet come forward, and if so, we would urge them to do so as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information can report it by calling 101, quoting the reference number 44240111410, or via our website.

ENDS

UPDATE: The man has been released on bail until 28 June 2024, pending further enquiries.

UPDATE 11 April 2024: Police interview second man in relation to dumped hares and raptors outside Broughton community shop (here)

Illegally killed hares & raptors dumped outside community shop – Hampshire Police investigating

This is horrific.

Posted on Twitter this morning:

There are at least 38 dead hares and a dead kestrel and barn owl. This is a village community shop in Broughton near Stockbridge.

Hampshire Police have attended the scene, removed the corpses and have launched an investigation.

UPDATE 29 March 2024: Man in custody in relation to dumped hares and raptors outside Broughton community shop (here)

UPDATE 11 April 2024: Police interview second man in relation to dumped hares and raptors outside Broughton community shop (here)

Leicestershire man receives 12 month community order for illegal possession of dead protected species, including 8 raptors

In October 2023, Kelvin Birtles of Saffron Road, Wigston appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to three offences – the possession of two dead badgers (in breach of the Protection of Badgers Act), the possession of two dead otters (in breach of the Wildlife & Countryside Act) and the possession of nine dead birds including three buzzards, four tawny owls, one barn owl and one swan, which were all found in his freezer during a joint police and trading standards raid in April 2023. Sentencing was deferred for background reports (see blog here).

Buzzard photo by Andy Howard

Birtle re-appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court on 15th November 2023 where he told the court he didn’t know he needed a licence, that some of the items were for his taxidermy hobby, and that some had been roadkill that he’d removed from near a school because ‘he didn’t want kids to see them smashed up on the road’.

He received a 12 month community order requiring him to carry out 120 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and £114 victim surcharge.

Source: Leicestershire Live website

Leicestershire man pleads guilty to possession of 8 raptors & other protected wildlife found in his freezer

A Leicestershire man has been convicted for the possession of protected wildlife that was discovered in his freezer during a joint police and trading standards raid in April 2023.

Kelvin Birtles of Saffron Road, Wigston, pleaded guilty to three offences – the possession of two dead badgers (in breach of the Protection of Badgers Act), the possession of two dead otters (in breach of the Wildlife & Countryside Act) and the possession of nine dead birds including three buzzards, four tawny owls, one barn owl and one swan.

Buzzard photo: Steve Robinson

The body parts of other animals were also found during the raid, including  llamas, piglets, a pheasant and a horse, although as these are not protected species, their possession isn’t an offence.

Birtles had claimed all the animals were roadkill and that he hadn’t killed them himself. Even if that’s true, possession of protected species is still an offence.

District Judge Jonathan Straw ordered a probation report and deferred sentencing until 15th November.

Source: Leicestershire Live

UPDATE 30 December 2023: Leicestershire man receives 12 month community order for illegal possession of dead protected species, including 8 raptors (here)

Man receives community order for illegally-set spring trap that caused catastrophic leg injury to barn owl

Press release from North Yorkshire Police (30 June 2023):

MAN SENTENCED AFTER DEATH OF BARN OWL NEAR SCARBOROUGH

A man has been sentenced after the death of an owl that was trapped on an allotment plot in Hunmanby.

On 8 April 2023, a dog walker discovered a badly-injured adult Barn Owl caught in a spring-operated trap in the allotments at Sands Lane, Hunmanby. Despite the bird being rescued and taken to a vet, the injuries to its legs were so severe that it had to be euthanized.

When spoken to by police, the tenant of the plot, Leslie Shooter, 57, stated that he had set a number of traps to control rats. However, he had not covered the traps as required by law, resulting in the trapping of the bird.

Barn Owls are particularly susceptible to disturbance and human interference. They are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, giving them legal protection. The species is also an early breeder, with a typical season being March to September, so any issues affecting adult breeding birds during this time brings additional risks to dependant eggs and young.

Spring-operated traps, often referred to as ‘Fenn’ traps, can be legally operated in the UK, but their use and target species is strictly controlled by legislation. Potential offences include use whilst uncovered, neglect in checking and use to capture wild birds.

Following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police, Shooter was charged with using an animal trap in circumstances for which it is not approved, causing a trap to be set to cause injury to a wild bird and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

After pleading guilty at Scarborough Magistrates Court on 29 June 2023, Shooter was sentenced to a community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work requirement, as well as £199 of costs and surcharges.

PC Graham Bilton, Wildlife Crime Officer for North Yorkshire Police, who investigated the incident alongside the RSPCA, said: “Raptor persecution is a national wildlife priority but unfortunately despite the legal protection offered to these birds it continues to be a problem throughout the UK.

“The incident in question, which resulted in the tragic death of the barn owl, could have been avoided had the defendant used the traps in a responsible and lawful way.”

Geoff Edmond, RSPCA Inspectorate Wildlife Lead, said: “This has been a very distressing incident and I would like to thank the member of the public who took this Barn Owl to the vet even though sadly – due to its horrific injuries – it could not be saved.

“I believe this incident will have caused upset and concern for the community of Hunmanby, many of whom will have enjoyed watching this Barn Owl.

“By correct training in and knowledge of the use of this trap, this death should not have occurred. I would urge anyone using traps to ensure they are fully conversant with the legislation surrounding them.

“I am grateful that the RSPCA continues to work in partnership with North Yorkshire Police to tackle wildlife and rural crime.”

Mark Thomas, RSPB Head of Investigations, added: “Raptor persecution is a national issue, impacting on a range of threatened species including public favourites like the Barn Owl, which in this case was inexcusably trapped in a heinous manner. Our thanks go to North Yorkshire Police for bringing this case to justice and highlighting the issue.”

ENDS

High levels of rodenticide poisoning in barn owls leads to new rules about placement of bait outdoors

Press release from the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU), 12th June 2023:

ENDING USE OF SECOND-GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES BROMADIOLONE AND DIFENACOUM AWAY FROM BUILDINGS

Legal authorisation is being withdrawn for open area and waste dump use for the only two second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) currently allowed to be used that way, bromadiolone and difenacoum. This will take effect in July next year.

The change was instigated voluntarily by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK, with support to make the necessary amendments from UK biocides regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). CRRU Chairman Dr Alan Buckle states that the change was a unanimous decision by all CRRU Directors to help meet rodenticide stewardship’s environmental targets.

“A primary factor leading to this is the stubbornly static incidence of rodenticide residues in around 80 per cent of barn owls, the HSE-nominated sentinel species for annual surveillance,” he explains. “This change will enable a single clear message about SGAR use: None of these products can be applied away from buildings.”

Sales of products containing bromadiolone and difenacoum for use in open areas and at waste dumps will cease on 4 July 2024. These products purchased on or before that date will be authorised for use in open areas and waste dumps until 31 December 2024. After that, it will be illegal to use any SGAR product to treat a rodent infestation not associated with a building.

Manufacturers will change product label instructions accordingly and will continue to promote the application of integrated pest management practices among all rodenticide users. The CRRU Code of Best Practice offers a range of effective methods for rodent management away from buildings, including elimination of harbourage, food and water; lethal non-anticoagulant baits; and trapping, shooting and dogs.

At the beginning of the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime the CRRU UK Board of Directors decided that manufacturers would not apply for authorisations for products containing the active substances brodifacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen to be used in ‘open areas’ and at ‘waste dumps’. This was because it considered that these high-potency anticoagulants were most likely to result in risk to wildlife when used in these scenarios. The CRRU board has now unanimously decided to extend this policy to products containing bromadiolone and difenacoum, thereby applying a consistent approach to all second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs).

There are two reasons for this. The first is that the previously excluded SGARs bromadiolone and difenacoum contribute significantly to the total burden of SGAR residues found in UK wildlife, and at the initiation of the regime it was a critical requirement set upon CRRU UK by the regulatory agency, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to reduce all SGAR residues in wildlife. The second reason is that there has been a recent and sudden increase in exposure of wildlife to products containing brodifacoum. It is considered that such an apparently recent and widespread increase can only be explained by use of this substance, contrary to label instructions, in the open countryside.

The new CRRU policy will permit a clear message to be put out to all UK SGAR users: none of them can be used anywhere away from buildings and such use is illegal and may be subject to prosecution.

The CRRU Board took this decision after carefully considering the availability of alternatives and finding that options exist for those needing to control rodents in open areas and at waste dumps. These include chemical and non-chemical methods, as well as lethal and non-lethal techniques, so that unavailability of SGARs for use away from buildings need not be detrimental either to human and animal health or the rural economy.

ENDS

This is good news for many UK raptor species, not just barn owls, that are routinely exposed to, and carry, heavy rodenticide burdens, albeit often at sub-lethal levels. Anybody who’s ever examined the toxicology reports published by the Government’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WiiS) will know just how prevalent an issue this is.

The new rules restricting the use of all SGARs to the vicinity of buildings only, should also help make enforcement easier to understand and, crucially, deliver.

Update from Lincolnshire Police on discovery of raptor body parts found in ditch

In January 2023, Detective Constable Aaron Flint from Lincolnshire Police’s Wildlife Crime Unit appealed for information after the discovery of various body parts from three barn owls, one tawny owl and one red kite were found dumped in a ditch near Sleaford (see here and here).

Photo by Lincolnshire Police

Today, DC Flint has provided an update on the investigation:

Barn owl found dead in a crow cage trap on an Angus Glens grouse moor

Over the weekend I was advised that a barn owl had reportedly been found dead inside a crow cage trap situated on a grouse moor in the notorious raptor persecution hotspot, the Angus Glens.

The discovery was apparently made during the first week of January 2023.

I understand the trap was tagged with the operator’s registration number (now a legal requirement in Scotland) and that the trap had not been disabled (i.e. the door hadn’t been removed/padlocked open) and so as far as the law is concerned, the trap was considered to be in-use, which means the trap operator has a legal obligation to check the trap at least once every 24 hours and release any non-target species. The General Licence conditions also state, ‘A check must be sufficient to determine whether there are any live or dead birds or other animals in the trap‘.

I asked Police Scotland to confirm the details of this case, whether a police search had been undertaken, if so, when, and what the current status is of the investigation?

After some hesitation, this afternoon a police spokesperson provided the following statement:

“The incident has been reported to police and enquiries are ongoing“.

There’s more to this case than meets the eye. Watch this space…

UPDATE 19th January 2023: This blog article was picked up by The Courier, here

Three barn owls, one tawny owl & one red kite found dumped in ditch – police appeal for information

More detail has emerged about the discovery of five dead birds of prey and two magpies found in suspicious circumstances and the subject of an appeal for information yesterday by Lincolnshire Police’s Wildlife Crime Team (see here).

The five raptors are reported to be three barn owls, one tawny owl and a red kite.

The police appeal for information contained very little detail yesterday – no date of discovery, no specific location and no species identification, although the dismembered wings of a barn owl could be seen in the accompanying police photograph:

Many thanks to BBC reporters Simon Hare and Paul Murphy for providing a bit more information:

If you have any information that could assist the police investigation please contact DC Aaron Flint at Lincolnshire Police, either by calling 101 and quoting incident number 22000747007 or by emailing aaron.flint@lincs.police.uk

UPDATE 27th May 2023: Update from Lincolnshire Police on discovery of raptor body parts found in ditch (here)