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Breaking

Fine for angler who gave false name to NRW enforcement officer

Blaenau Gwent man prosecuted for encouraging dog to enter a live badger sett

Carlisle man bludgeoned badger with shovel then tossed it to dogs

Warwickshire Hunt hit with notice from police amid concerns about 'dangers' on roads

Gloucestershire man fined after messages showed him bragging and admitting to the illegal hunting of foxes

Two Gwent fishermen caught and in court for illegal netting

Bird of prey poisoned, Horncastle, Lincolnshire

Dorset hunt master found guilty and fined £6,800

Fines for two men caught digging at active badger sett on Wrexham farm

Norfolk Gamekeeper admits killing birds of prey

Cwmbran man fined for fishing without a rod licence or permission to fish

Essex angler fined £240 after illegally fishing on the River Stour.

North Wales man posed with ‘severely injured’ dogs after using them for badger baiting

Illegal Tree Felling Prosecution in Northern Ireland

Sperm whale teeth seized and Oxford man arrested

Northampton medicine practitioner pleads guilty to illegal trade of endangered species

Housebuilding director fined for Aberdeen badger sett damage

2022-2025 NPCC Wildlife & Rural Crime Strategy launched

Welsh developers fined £7400 for Bat Offences

Two Chester men given five-year criminal behaviour orders for Hare poaching in West Lancashire


Home / How do we prioritise? / Current UK priorities / Bat Crime

Bat Crime

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Bats play an important role in many environments around the world. In the UK, some bats are ‘indicator species’, because changes to these bat populations can indicate changes in aspects of biodiversity. Bats might suffer when there are problems with insect populations (because our bats feed on insects) or when habitats are destroyed or poorly managed (for example, some bats only live in large woodlands).

While some people think bats are pests, some bats are actually pest controllers eating thousands of insects every night. UK bats won’t bite you or suck your blood – but they will help clear the air of bloodsucking insects!

All bats in the UK are insectivores – they only eat insects. Insect-eating bats are great for keeping bugs away from crops, as well as the places where the bats roost.

Pipistrelle batSadly, many bat species around the world are vulnerable or endangered due to factors ranging from loss and fragmentation of habitat, diminished food supply, destruction of roosts, disease and hunting or killing of bats.

In the UK, bat populations have declined considerably over the last century. Bats are still under threat from building and development work that affects roosts, loss of habitat, the severing of commuting routes by roads and threats in the home including cat attacks, flypaper and some chemical treatments of building materials. Other potential threats can include wind turbines and lighting if they are sited on key bat habitat on near roosts.

Information taken from BCT website

To read all about the work of the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) click here

Bat Crime Priority Delivery Group newsletter

Inspired by colleagues in both the badger and poaching wildlife crime priority delivery groups the bat priority group decided to produce bat-crime newsletters on an occasional basis. The newsletters are intended to bring news as demand dictates and include information relating to recent investigations, prosecutions and other outcomes along with other information that hopefully will be of interest. The newsletter is produced by Pete Charleston, Investigations Officer, Bat Conservation Trust on behalf of the bat Priority Delivery Group:

Bat PDG newsletter – issue 3 – June 2016

Bat PDG newsletter – issue 2 – Nov 2015

Bat PDG newsletter – issue 1 – April 2015

  • Bat Crime media

    • Welsh developers fined £7400 for Bat Offences
      July 29, 2022
    • Scottish Pensioner fined for destroying bat roost and wild...
      April 11, 2022
    • Property developers fined for damaging bat roost in Merthyr...
      March 8, 2022
    • Headcorn man given £1,600 fine after destroying protected...
      September 22, 2021
    • Bat Conservation Trust outline threats to bats from...
      May 11, 2021
    • Police Scotland launch third phase of Year-Long Wildlife...
      February 25, 2021
    • London building company handed largest ever fine in relation...
      December 11, 2020
    • New Bat Conservation Trust Wildlife Crime Project Officer
      June 2, 2020
    • Derbyshire developer who bulldozed bungalow knowing...
      May 25, 2020
    • Man sentenced for destroying a bat roost in Shaftesbury
      October 15, 2019
    • Conviction for bat crime in Cumbria
      April 30, 2019
    • London company fined £18,000 for illegally destroying...
      April 9, 2019
    • Thames Valley Police bat crime conviction
      February 18, 2019
    • Bat Crime Conviction in York
      September 28, 2018
    • Conviction of bat roost destruction in Worcestershire
      May 9, 2018
    • Kent conviction on three counts of bat roost destruction
      April 30, 2018
    • Two men sentenced for destroying bat roosts in Dorset
      February 22, 2018
    • Development Company plead Guilty to Bat Roost Destruction...
      January 24, 2018
    • Havant pair fined for destroying roost of protected...
      October 23, 2017
    • Convictions for bat crime at Leamington Spa Magistrates...
      May 9, 2017



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