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
06 Sep 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
Charlie Everitt, NWCU Scottish Investigative Support Officer, has won a category in the 2016 British Wildlife Photography Awards. It is a competition entered by the UK’s top professional and amateur photographers from around the UK with several categories catering for differing photographic environments and perspectives. Charlie’s image of the Bass Rock – depicting the sheer […]
Read more → 01 Sep 2016
Posted by NWCU6 
The county’s police force said feedback from both farmers and those caught hare coursing said it was the greatest deterrent. Traditionally offences start to rise in the autumn after crops have been harvested and continue until spring. Last season, 176 men were arrested or reported for summons. Source: BBC To read the full article click […]
Read more → 18 Aug 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
A satellite tag fitted to a hen harrier has stopped transmitting in the same mountains where eight tagged eagles “vanished”, RSPB Scotland has said. The hen harrier fledged at a nest in Aberdeenshire in July. The hen harrier, known as Elwood, was being monitored under a scheme run by the Partnership for Action against Wildlife […]
Read more → 17 Aug 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
At Carlisle Crown Court on 22nd July 2016, Shane Ball 27yrs, of Derwent Avenue , Workington pleaded not guilty to four charges contrary to the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations. The proceedings are the result of an investigation by Wildlife Officers from Cumbria Police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. Officers identified Ball […]
Read more → 07 Jul 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
A fisherman has been ordered to pay back more than £100,000 that he made from fishing illegally in Christchurch Harbour. Shane Barton, 42, from Plymouth, was handed the confiscation order, which totalled £104,147, at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, June 17. The order was the culmination of a multi-agency investigation following Barton’s arrest when he […]
Read more → 27 Jun 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
The case against a Cumbrian man accused of offering ivory for sale has been sent to Crown Court. Shane David Ball aged 27yrs, of Derwent Avenue, Workington appeared before District Judge Daniel Chalk, Workington Magistrates Court on 17th June 2016 for offences contrary to the Control in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulation 1997. The offences related […]
Read more → 20 Jun 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
A retired solicitor has been fined for stealing wild bird eggs from nests in Orkney. William Beatson from Devon pleaded guilty to wildlife crimes at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Tuesday 14th June 2016 and was fined £4200. The 73-year-old was caught collecting eggs on Shapinsay and presented an arctic tern egg when challenged. He was […]
Read more → 13 Jun 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton-in-Furness was previously convicted in 2014 for allowing invasive non native species to escape – click here for details. On the 10th June 2016 the zoo was fined for health and safety breaches which caused a keeper to be mauled to death by a tiger. Sarah McClay, 24, originally from […]
Read more → 07 Jun 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
On 7th June 2016, police in Inverness put out an appeal for information regarding the disturbance of bird of prey nests and the unexplained disappearance of adult Buzzards and Goshawks from nests in Moy Forest, Tomatin. Nest disturbance and disappearance of the adult birds suggests that the nests have been the subject of illegal activity. […]
Read more → 01 Jun 2016
Posted by NWCU4 
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The persecution of birds of prey is a UK wildlife crime priority, and the successful conviction in this case demonstrates the tenacity and strong working relationship that exists between North Yorkshire Police, the RSPB and other rural partners. “The investigation led the suspect, a 23-year-old man from the Hawes […]
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