Tag: goshawk

Van Cutsem’s gamekeeper convicted of having offensive weapon but all charges of alleged wildlife crime ‘withdrawn’

Two gamekeepers who work on William van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court this morning to face a number of charges of alleged wildlife crime.

Dominic Green, 35, of Cockley Cley Road, Hilborough, Thetford and William Richardson, 22, of Nethergate Street, Hopton, near Diss, had been charged with intentionally taking a Schedule 1 wild bird (a goshawk) at the Hilborough Estate, and the use of pigeons as decoys inside a crow cage trap to take/kill the goshawk. They had also been charged with failing to ensure the welfare of the pigeon decoys.

However, according to a report in the Eastern Daily Press this afternoon (here), all the wildlife crime charges were ‘withdrawn’ against both gamekeepers.

Green pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon (an extendable police-style baton) and his lawyer argued he’d had this in his possession since 2003 when it was lawful to possess it.

Headline from today’s Eastern Daily Press

District Judge David Wilson recognised that Green was “essentially” of good character and imposed a fine of £1,000, with £400 costs and a £400 victim surcharge.

It hasn’t been reported why the wildlife crime charges were ‘withdrawn’.

This case relates to a police investigation that launched in April 2022 after the anti-bloodsports group, the Hunt Investigation Team, recorded covert footage of a masked man removing a goshawk from a trap that appeared to have been baited with a pigeon decoy which was said to have taken place on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk. The fate of the goshawk is not known, nor, it seems, the identity of the masked man who removed it from the trap and walked away with it.

Previous blogs on this case:

8th May 2022: Van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk at centre of police investigation into alleged raptor persecution (here)

10th May 2022: Illegally-set trap found on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk (here)

11th May 2022: Police confirm bird of prey was caught in illegally-set trap on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk (here)

12th May 2022: Covert footage published showing masked man with trapped goshawk on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate (here)

16th May 2022: Mail on Sunday blames ‘vigilantes’ for police investigation into alleged wildlife crime on van Cutsem’s estate (here)

12th August 2022: GWCT disregards police investigation into alleged wildlife crime on van Cutsem’s Norfolk estate (here)

13 October 2023: Two gamekeepers due in court after police investigation on van Cutsems’ Hilborough Estate in Norfolk (here)

Two gamekeepers due in court after police investigation on Van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk

Two gamekeepers are due to appear at Norwich Magistrates Court next week charged with a number of alleged offences relating to a police investigation that centred on William van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk last year.

A police search of the estate took place in April 2022 after a group called the Hunt Investigation Team, describing itself as ‘anti bloodsports’, said it had recorded covert video footage of a masked man with a goshawk inside what was considered to be an illegally-set trap on the estate. The masked man removed the goshawk and walked away from the trap. The goshawk’s fate was unknown.

Details of the charges have not yet been publicised and as this will be the first hearing in this case, the two gamekeepers have not yet entered a plea. Hopefully details will become clearer after the first hearing.

PLEASE NOTE: As this is now a live prosecution blog comments will not be accepted until criminal proceedings have concluded. Thanks for your understanding.

Previous blogs on this case can be found here:

8th May 2022: Van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk at centre of police investigation into alleged raptor persecution (here)

10th May 2022: Illegally-set trap found on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk (here)

11th May 2022: Police confirm bird of prey was caught in illegally-set trap on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate in Norfolk (here)

12th May 2022: Covert footage published showing masked man with trapped goshawk on van Cutsem’s Hilborough Estate (here)

16th May 2022: Mail on Sunday blames ‘vigilantes’ for police investigation into alleged wildlife crime on van Cutsem’s estate (here)

12th August 2022: GWCT disregards police investigation into alleged wildlife crime on van Cutsem’s Norfolk estate (here)

Trial date set for man charged with killing goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm

A trial date has now been set for a man accused of killing a goshawk at a pheasant-rearing farm in Wales.

Thomas Edward Jones, 38, appeared again at Welshpool Magistrates Court on 19 September 2023 where he pleaded not guilty to the shooting and killing of a goshawk at Pentre Farm in northern Powys in July 2022, where tens of thousands of pheasants are reportedly reared for the game shooting industry.

The trial will begin on 6 November 2023.

Goshawk. Photo by Mike Warburton

PLEASE NOTE: As this is a live court case comments won’t be accepted until criminal proceedings have concluded. Thanks for your understanding.

Previous blog on this case here.

UPDATE 23 November 2023: New trial date for man accused of shooting & killing goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm (here)

UPDATE 7 December 2023: Trial discontinued for man accused of killing goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm in Wales (here)

Man in court accused of shooting & killing a goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm

A court hearing was adjourned this week in the case of a man accused of shooting and killing a goshawk at his pheasant-rearing farm in Wales.

Photo: Mike Warburton

Thomas Edward Jones, 38, is alleged to have shot and killed a goshawk at Pentre Farm in northern Powys in July 2022 where tens of thousands of pheasants are reportedly reared for the game shooting industry.

Appearing at Welshpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday 5th September, Jones confirmed his name, age and address but did not enter a plea.

The case will continue on 19th September 2023.

PLEASE NOTE: As this is a live court case comments won’t be accepted until criminal proceedings have concluded. Thanks for your understanding.

UPDATE 21 September 2023: Trial date set for man charged with killing goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm (here)

UPDATE 23 November 2023: New trial date for man accused of shooting & killing goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm (here)

UPDATE 7 December 2023: Trial discontinued for man accused of killing goshawk at pheasant-rearing farm in Wales (here)

‘Any bad publicity is good’ – Chris Packham haters celebrate as Sunday Telegraph publishes pathetic ‘bird sniffing’ accusation

Further to the blog I wrote three days ago about a journalist digging around for a story on Chris Packham sniffing goshawks (yes, really – see here), well surprise, surprise, the Sunday Telegraph has published this pathetic piece today:

Here’s the text:

Presenter is referred to police after enthusiast claimed star disturbed rare goshawks on live TV

When Chris Packham appeared on The One Show with three goshawk chicks, the naturalist took great pride in showing how a bird of prey once near extinction in Britain is at last thriving.

But, that BBC recording is now at the centre of a police investigation over whether a wildlife crime – including the somewhat unusual practice of bird sniffing – was committed before the nation’s very eyes. 

In the four minute and 30-second clip, Mr Packham, 62, took part in biometric tests on the woodland predators in the New Forest.

The Springwatch presenter sniffed one of three goshawks to detect their “characteristic scent or perfume” once they were weighed, sexed and ringed in line with a licence issued by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

The clip, broadcast in June following a morning of filming, prompted a complaint to police that a filming licence may not have been obtained.

It was also suggested the time the birds were out of the nest and the “sniffing incident” amounted to a “disturbance” of a protected species.

Mr Packham has insisted no laws were broken, adding that those concerned about “goshawk welfare should worry less about a naturalist having an occasional sniff” and more about “widespread persecution” by some gamekeepers who have illegally killed goshawks.

The man who complained – a shooting enthusiast who does not want to be named for fear of reprisals – said: “I watched the programme and was struck by the way Mr Packham was handling and sniffing the birds. These birds are Schedule 1 protected and it is a crime to ‘intentionally or recklessly disturb at, on or near an active nest’.”

When the man contacted Natural England about a filming licence he was told: “I have checked our various systems and contacted potentially relevant groups within Natural England and have not been able to locate any relevant licences.”

Jemima Parry-Jones, a leading authority on birds of prey and conservation, said handling any wild bird must be done quickly, with the minimum of noise, numbers of people and interference to minimise the risk of harm.

“When the face of a human, effectively their only natural predator, appears over the edge of a nest it will cause them huge distress.

“There is absolutely no excuse for spending half a day filming like this.”

A Hampshire Police spokesman said: “We received a report on July 2 relating to an alleged offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is currently being reviewed by our Countrywatch team.”

Mr Packham told The Telegraph: “Raptor persecution is illegal yet every year a huge number of goshawks are killed by gamekeepers … not by scientists or people in the media. All three of these birds fledged the nest – lets hope they survive.”

A BBC spokesman said: “The One Show had permission to film and followed all protocols around filming wildlife.”

ENDS

It’s amusing that they used a quote from Jemima Parry Jones, instead of the response they received from a licensed goshawk ringer who they’d first approached for comment. You can imagine what he told them. It presumably didn’t fit the narrative so they went with Parry Jones – the woman who is running the hen harrier brood meddling trial in cahoots with the Moorland Association and who was quite happy to be filmed with the brood meddled hen harrier chicks for a Moorland Association propaganda video. Hypocritical? Yes, I think so.

I’d argue that there is “absolutely no excuse” for permanently removing entire broods of hen harrier chicks from their parents and holding them in captivity for several weeks and then releasing them back into the wild to be shot and killed by grouse moor gamekeepers, but that’s just my view. The irony of asking the brood-meddler-in-chief to comment on ‘disturbance’ to raptors won’t be lost on anyone.

The Sunday Telegraph article identifies the complainant as a ‘shooting enthusiast’, and that’s what’s key here. As I wrote a few days ago (here), if the shooting industry had the tiniest concern about goshawk welfare then they’d stop shooting, trapping and bludgeoning them to death.

Have they stopped? No, of course they haven’t. There’s even a forthcoming court case, in the next fortnight, of yet another gamekeeper accused of killing a goshawk.

It’s so obvious what the agenda is here – that this complaint was made by a member of the shooting industry as part of a long-running smear campaign against Chris Packham, in yet another feeble attempt to discredit him and/or have him sacked by the BBC. It’s no secret that the shooting industry despises Chris because he’s outspoken about their environmentally-damaging practices and also about their crimes, especially the continued illegal killing of birds of prey.

The shooting industry has taken a lot of hits recently and is floundering under the pressure, so its chosen course of action is to lash out. Chris Packham is an obvious target given his high profile and popularity amongst the British public, and his relentless campaigning for wildlife and the environment.

My interpretation is backed up by comments made on social media today by other ‘shooting enthusiasts’ in response to the article being published in the Sunday Telegraph:

This comment by Sarah Sullivan is particularly telling – I assume she’s referring to Chris winning his recent libel action but being left with mammoth costs as the two individuals he took action against immediately declared themselves bankrupt (although more on that in due course).

Even the main shooting organisations are brazenly encouraging their members to complain about Chris (and other high profile individuals, as well as the RSPB), as demonstrated in this excerpt from a BASC blog written by Dr Conor O’Gorman and published this week:

It’s nothing new – the shooting industry has been aggressively attacking Chris for years (e.g. see here, here). The irony of it is, is that it’s actually more damaging to their own reputation than it is to Chris’s but they’re mostly too stupid to see it. Although I did watch Patrick Galbraith, editor of Shooting Times, trying to make this point at the recent Game Fair – sadly without much success.

UPDATE 29th August 2023: ‘No case to answer’ – Hampshire Police close ridiculous ‘Chris Packham sniffed a goshawk’ investigation (here)

Biggest threat to UK goshawks is gamekeepers, not Chris Packham!

It’s become apparent today that a journalist is sniffing around for a story about Chris Packham in what looks like the latest attempt to discredit his reputation and integrity.

Apparently ‘someone’ has made a complaint to the BBC, the BTO, and Hampshire Constabulary accusing Chris of being a ‘wildlife criminal’ because he sniffed some goshawks chicks whilst they were waiting to be ringed in the New Forest in June for a feature on the BBC’s The One Show.

That ‘someone’ has even bragged on social media about making the complaint:

That ‘someone’, or more likely one of the game shooting organisations, has tipped off a journalist in the hope of trying to make mischief for Chris in the mainstream papers.

It’s so obviously just the latest in a long-running malicious smear campaign against Chris.

If there was a genuine concern for goshawk welfare from the game-shooting sector then I think we’d have heard a bit more from them when actual crimes against goshawks have been uncovered and publicised, e.g. the trapping and beating to death of a goshawk by a gamekeeper on a pheasant shoot in Scotland (here), the shooting of a goshawk by a gamekeeper on a pheasant shoot in Norfolk (here), the disturbance of a goshawk nest in the Peak District National Park (here), the disturbance of a goshawk nest in Scotland (here), the disturbance of another goshawk nest in Scotland by masked gunmen (here), the shooting of a goshawk in the Forest of Dean (here), the trapping of a goshawk by a masked man on a pheasant shoot in Norfolk (here), the killing of a goshawk caught in a gamekeeper’s trap in the Scottish Borders (here), the shooting of a goshawk in a raptor persecution hotspot in Scotland (here), the shooting of a goshawk in Staffordshire (here), the shooting of a goshawk on a sporting estate in the Cairngorms National Park (here), the felling of an active goshawk nest in Gloucestershire (here), the setting of an illegal trap by a gamekeeper next to a goshawk nest on a sporting estate in Scotland (here), the shooting and dumping of five young goshawks in Suffolk (here), the trapping of a goshawk on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park (here), etc etc.

It’s not difficult to predict the headline: ‘Chris Packham under police investigation’, a bit like the headlines we saw a couple of years ago when the Scottish Gamekeepers Association told Hampshire Constabulary that they had ‘evidence’ that Chris wrote a death threat letter to himself…only it turned out that their ‘evidence’ was wholly unreliable (here) and the allegation was so far off the mark it was dismissed by Hampshire Constabulary (here) and condemned by a judge in a recent and related libel trial (here).

The latest (non) ‘story’ / smear campaign hasn’t emerged in the press yet but it may appear in the next day or so.

Meanwhile, Chris has responded this afternoon – well worth a watch:

UPDATE 27th August 2023: ‘Any bad publicity is good’ – Chris Packham haters celebrate as Sunday telegraph publishes pathetic ‘bird sniffing’ accusation (here)

UPDATE 29th August 2023: ‘No case to answer’ – Hampshire Police close ridiculous ‘Chris Packham sniffed a goshawk’ investigation (here)

Criminal gamekeepers Addison & Stroud both linked to Fengate Farm in Weeting, Norfolk

Yesterday, gamekeeper Francis Addison was convicted for multiple offences linked to the discovery of five shot goshawks that were found in a public carpark next to King’s Forest near Thetford in January this year (see here).

The five shot goshawks. Photo: Suffolk Police

Addison lives in the village of Weeting in Norfolk.

Weeting also just happens to be where another gamekeeper, Matthew Stroud, was convicted in October 2022 for multiple wildlife crimes on land he managed for pheasant shooting at Fengate Farm, including the killing of six buzzards and a goshawk and the laying of poisoned baits (see here and here).

Weeting is a small village. There are a few farms there, according to Google maps, some or all of which could be hosting pheasant shooting, but I was curious about whether Addison and Stroud were associated with the same pheasant shoot at Fengate Farm.

So I asked Suffolk Police this morning:

Interesting.

Fengate Farm is owned by Richard Norman Parrott, who also happens to be a director of Weeting Steam Engine Rally Ltd, according to Companies House (here).

The Weeting Steam Rally and Country Show is scheduled to take place at Fengate Farm on 14-16th July 2023 – see the rally website here – where overnight camping is offered (here) and the rally is described on the website as follows:

‘A fun family day out filled with nostalgia of steam. We have plenty for all the family to enjoy, from the large range of steam engines to the fairground, gundogs to chainsaw carving, there’s something for everyone, whatever your age – across our 170 acre site! Our large trade area has a vast array of stalls, we also have a craft tent and a food hall, along with many other things to see and do‘.

Now, I’m not suggesting for one minute that Mr Parrott had any involvement with, or knowledge of, the criminality associated with the Fengate Farm pheasant shoot. For all I know, he leases out the land used for the shoot and has nothing to do with it (it’s worth noting that criminal gamekeeper Stroud was described as ‘self-employed’ and criminal gamekeeper Addison has been described as being ‘part-time’ and ‘retired’ – there is no indication that either were employed by Mr Parrott).

But given the discovery of poisoned baits and poisoned birds of prey, shot birds of prey, unsecured poisons, the illegal use of animal traps, and the unlawful use and storage of shotguns associated with this pheasant shoot, I’d suggest that visitors to the steam rally and country show might want to consider the risks to their health and safety and that of their children and dogs.

More on convicted Norfolk gamekeeper Francis Addison

Further to the criminal conviction yesterday of gamekeeper Francis Addison from Weeting, near Thetford in relation to the discovery of five shot goshawks in January this year (see here), there was excellent coverage on BBC’s Look East yesterday evening.

It’s available on iPlayer (here, starts 05.53 mins) but only until this evening, so here is a transcript of the two-minute piece:

A part-time gamekeeper who admitted dumping dead birds of prey in a parking area in Suffolk has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The five goshawk carcasses were found in January. Francis Addison who’s 72 and from Weeting, near Thetford, denied shooting them. Our Environment reporter Richard Daniels sent this report from Norwich Magistrates Court.

It was a shocking discovery. Five goshawks dumped in a public area near Wordwell in Suffolk. All had been shot. When police swabbed them for DNA it led them to the home of Francis Addison, an ex-military weapons instructor and part-time gamekeeper.

Today, Addison arrived at court facing 19 charges, including possession of the goshawks and various firearms offences.

Francis Addison arriving at court. Screen grab from BBC Look East

Addison’s defence told magistrates he found the five goshawk carcasses while out walking his dog. He put them in a bag and took them home. [Ed: according to this BBC article, Addison claimed he was intending to give them to the BTO]. But when a friend told him that it was illegal to have them, he took fright and returned them to the spot where he found them.

Once driven to extinction through persecution, goshawks are some of our most protected birds. The court was told there were believed to be as few as 33 living in Suffolk.

[Tom Grose, RSPB Investigations Officer]: “It’s illegal to possess these birds. However, we still don’t know who killed these goshawk and there is a reward available, still, for anybody that comes forward with information leading to the conviction of somebody for that offence”.

When the police searched Addison’s home they found his gun cabinet unlocked with ammunition stored in cupboards and in his car.

Screen grab from BBC Look East

[Sgt Brian Calver, Suffolk Police]: “If the house got burgled then they had access to a rifle, four shotguns, all the ammunition in the world. Gun ownership is a privilege, not a right, that’s one of the conditions on everyone’s licence to make sure that you keep those guns as secure as possible at all times”.

Addison was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence. He was told he’d shown a total disregard and disdain towards his licensing requirements. His firearm and shotgun certificates have been revoked.

Richard Daniel, BBC Look East, Norwich Magistrates Court.

ENDS

I’m so pleased to learn that Addison ‘found’ the five shot goshawks on his dog walk and that their deaths had nothing whatsoever to do with his cage traps, dead woodpigeon and guns. Phew! Seems he’s just an unlucky chap, not a raptor-killing bastard.

UPDATE 30th June 2023: Criminal gamekeepers Addison & Stroud both linked to Fengate Farm in Weeting, Norfolk (here)

Gamekeeper Francis Addison receives suspended jail sentence in relation to five shot goshawks

RSPB Press Release (29th June 2023):

DNA LINKS PART-TIME GAMEKEEPER TO SHOT GOSHAWKS

At Norwich Magistrates’ court today, Frances Addison (72) a part-time gamekeeper of South Park, Weeting, pleaded guilty to 19 charges in connection with a multi-agency raptor persecution investigation led by Suffolk Police, including possession of five shot Goshawks.

The five birds were found dead together in Kings Forest, near Wordwell, Suffolk on 16 January 2023.

The five shot juvenile goshawks found dumped in car park. Photo: Suffolk Police

The incident was reported to Suffolk Police, who swabbed the birds at the scene for human DNA and then x-rayed them as part of their investigation. All five birds were found to contain multiple pieces of shot and remarkably a human DNA hit was registered from a swab of one of the bird’s legs.

The DNA findings led Suffolk and Norfolk Constabularies, assisted by RSPB Investigations and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, to search the suspect’s home in nearby Weeting, where a number of offences in relation to firearms and traps were uncovered. In interview, Addison claimed that he had found the Goshawks and then put them back and that all gamekeepers were killing birds of prey.

The court dealt with all the offences together and sentenced Addison to 12 weeks imprisonment – suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay £1080 in compensation and £105 costs.

All birds of prey are protected by law, and to kill or injure one could result in jail and/or an unlimited fine. Yet the illegal killing of birds of prey remains a widespread national problem.

The RSPB’s annual Birdcrime report for 2021 revealed 108 confirmed incidents of birds of prey being shot, trapped or poisoned. However, the true number is likely to be far higher.

The report also found that Norfolk had the highest number of confirmed raptor persecution incidents than any other county in 2021.

It remains unknown who shot the Goshawks despite extensive rewards on offer from RSPB, Wild Justice, and Rare Bird Alert.

Mark Thomas, UK Head of Investigations at RSPB said:

“Goshawks are an exhilarating apex predator, so it was both shocking and appalling to see images of the five shot birds discarded in the Breckland Forest car park, we applaud the efforts and professionalism of Suffolk Police in deploying key forensic techniques that have led to court charges in this case. In 2021, two-thirds of all confirmed UK raptor persecution incidents happened in connection with land used for gamebird shooting, faced with huge public displeasure there is increasingly no place to hide for those who commit these crimes“.

Sergeant Brian Calver, of Suffolk Constabulary’s Rural and Wildlife Crime team, said:

“This is a particularly disturbing case. Bird of prey crime is a national wildlife crime priority, which is taken very seriously by police. We will leave no stone unturned in pursuing criminals that cause deliberate harm to wildlife. This incident has had a significant impact on the Goshawk population in the Brecks and in particular their ability to expand their territory. As well as possessing dead schedule 1 birds, Addison has shown a complete disregard for the security of his guns, which is equally concerning.”

He went on to say “We welcome today’s outcome and I hope the sentence imposed sends a strong message to others that are involved in this type of criminality. We’ll continue to work closely with partners to ensure such crimes become a thing of the past.”

The charges were:

· Five counts of possession of a dead schedule 1 wild bird (Goshawk)

· One count of killing a non-schedule 1 wild bird (Wood Pigeon)

· One count of use of an animal trap in circumstance for which it is not approved

· Two counts of possession of an article capable of being used to commit a summary offence, namely two air rifles and six animal traps

· Six counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a firearm certificate

· Four counts of failing to comply with the condition of a shotgun certificate.

ENDS

Brilliant multi-agency partnership work – very well done to everyone involved.

The sentence is, as usual, insignificant and no deterrent to others.

The Norfolk village of Weeting seems to be somewhat of a hotspot for raptor persecution – last year another gamekeeper, Matthew Stroud, was convicted of multiple wildlife crime offences in the area including the placing of poisonous baits and the killing of buzzards and a goshawk (see here).

I look forward to reading BASC’s condemnation of Addison and his crimes – given their faux outrage when Suffolk Police initially asking the shooting community to help progress the police investigation (see here).

UPDATE 30th June 2023: More on convicted Norfolk gamekeeper Francis Addison (here)

Man charged in relation to 5 shot goshawks found dumped in forest car park in January

In January this year, Suffolk Police’s Rural, Wildlife & Heritage Unit appealed for information in relation to the discovery of five juvenile goshawks that had been shot and dumped in a car park at the King’s Forest, near Thetford (see here).

The five shot goshawks. Photo: Suffolk Police

This is the investigation that attracted a large reward for information (reward put up by RSPB, Wild Justice, and a crowd funder by Rare Bird Alert, see here).

This is also the investigation about which the shooting industry was ‘offended’ at being asked by the police to help identify the perpetrator (here).

In late March 2023, the police announced that a man had been arrested in relation to this investigation (see here).

A man has now been charged and the police have issued the following statement:

MAN CHARGED WITH OFFENCES IN RELATION TO BIRDS OF PREY FOUND DEAD IN WEST SUFFOLK

A man has been charged with offences in relation to the discovery of five goshawks that were found dead in the west of the county, as well as a number of other offences.

The five birds of prey were found on Monday 16 January, having been left in a parking area just off from the B1106 in Kings Forest, near Wordwell.

X-rays were undertaken which showed all five birds had suffered injuries from multiple pieces of shot.

Officers arrested a 72-year-old man on 27 March in relation to the discovery of the goshawks and on suspicion of breaching firearms license conditions. He was taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning, before being released under investigation.

Francis Addison, 72, from South Park, Weeting, was subsequently charged with five counts of possession of a dead schedule 1 wild bird (goshawk); one count of killing a non-schedule 1 wild bird (wood pigeon); one count of use of an animal trap in circumstance for which it is not approved; two counts of possession of an article capable of being used to commit a summary offence, namely two air rifles and six animal traps; six counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a firearm certificate; and four counts of failing to comply with the condition of a shotgun certificate.

Addison is due to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 29 June. 

ENDS

Well done to Suffolk Police’s Rural, Wildlife & Heritage Unit for what has obviously been a detailed investigation, and also for keeping the public informed.

As Mr Addison has now been charged and criminal proceedings are live, I won’t be accepting any comments on this case until proceedings have concluded.