2025-2028 NPCC Wildlife & Rural Crime Strategy
Yellow-legged Asian Hornet Week 1st - 7th September 2025
Operation EASTER launches for the 28th year
Bat Conservation Trust launch Halloween video to celebrate bats 🦇
Operation Badger re-launch for National Badger Day!
Craig Fellowes awarded MBE for services to wildlife
Operation EASTER ~ 27 years of stopping egg thieves
Man who abseiled down cliff to take peregrine falcon eggs jailed
Newport company fined for the demolition of Bat Roost
Cheshire man sentenced after admitting animal cruelty offences
2,114 seizures of endangered animals and timber in major international law enforcement operation
Natural England prosecutes developer for breaching Bat Mitigation Licence
Vale of Glamorgan man prosecuted for destroying valuable wildlife habitat
Wildlife detectives take part in new Forensics Training programme
PSNI investigate death of two white-tailed eagles
PSNI launch Operation SUBRISION to deter and detect rural and wildlife crime
Lewisham man convicted for illegally exporting ivory
Operation EASTER launched for 2023 - stopping egg thieves and egg collectors
Monmouthshire company fined for damaging an important Great Crested Newt habitat
18 May 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
A Pontardawe father and son have been sentenced after illegally keeping a wild goshawk and failing to ensure urgent veterinary treatment for the bird’s severely broken wing. Paul Baker, 67, and Jess Baker, 39, pleaded guilty to a number of offences at Swansea Magistrates’ Court in May 2018, including an admission that their actions led to the goshawk […]
Read more → 13 May 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
Several dozen freshwater pearl mussels have been killed by poachers in Assynt in the north west Highlands. Assynt Field Club said the shellfish were forced open in the “off chance” one or more might contain a pearl. The group said the poaching had happened at some point during the last two months. Freshwater pearl mussels, […]
Read more → 09 May 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
On Tuesday 24th April 2018 at Kidderminster magistrates court Mr Stephen David Yoxhall, B15/10/1966 of Atherstone pleaded guilty to the destruction of a bat roost. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £135. The offence occurred when work was being undertaken to develop a business unit in Holberrow Green, Worcestershire. A bat survey […]
Read more → 03 May 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
A Plymouth man has been found guilty of nine offences relating to the taking of wild bird eggs and the disturbance of several breeding bird sites in Devon and Scotland. Jason North, aged 49 from Plymouth, appeared before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 3 May and admitted the offences which included taking wild bird eggs. […]
Read more → 30 Apr 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
A complex investigation undertaken by Kent Police recently saw London based Knightspur Homes convicted at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on three counts of roost destruction. Sentencing was adjourned for consideration of a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) confiscation order by the Crown Court. On Tuesday 20th April Maidstone Crown Court ordered Knightspur Homes to pay a total […]
Read more → 19 Apr 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
A Border’s man has been fined £1,000 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today (Thursday 19th April 2018), for trading in parts of internationally protected species. The court also issued a forfeiture order for a mounted tiger head. Richard Wales ran an on-line business under the name “theexplorersstudy” buying and selling antiquity products containing animal derivatives from […]
Read more → 09 Apr 2018
Posted by NWCU6 
Two men have been convicted for wildlife crime offences and breaches of camping byelaws within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and Forestry Commission. At Stirling Justice of the Peace Court on Monday April 9, Adam Russell was fined £300 and Dale Snedden was fined £350 for the possession of Atlantic salmon […]
Read more → 04 Apr 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
A prolific hare courser and three others were handed fines totalling £2,695 after they were found guilty of trespassing on Lincolnshire land to hunt with dogs. Three men and a 17-year-old were fined in relation to a hare coursing incident at Gedny Hill on December 13, 2017. Aaron Smith, a 24-year-old prolific hare courser from […]
Read more → 02 Apr 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
A head keeper employed on one of Scotland’s most illustrious grouse moors, Tillypronie in Royal Deeside, has been banned from controlling birds for three years over an alleged wildlife crime incident. He worked on an estate owned by Philip Astor, a member of the famous Anglo-American dynasty and vice-chairman of the Game and Wildlife Conservation […]
Read more → 24 Mar 2018
Posted by NWCU4 
Tens of thousands of pounds is being gambled on illegal hare coursing events being live-streamed across the country via mobile phones, police have said. Landowners have reported a “terrifying” increase in illicit gatherings fuelled by the emerging technology-enabled black market in betting. More than a thousand incidents were reported in Lincolnshire alone during the 2017-18 season, […]
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