Peak birds of prey targeted

A report by the RSPB names Derbyshire as a place where crimes against wild birds are steadily rising.

The report for last year details over 1,100 incidents nationally, up by more than 50 per cent on 2005 when there were 726 reports.

Crimes reported against birds of prey showed a sharp increase, affecting some of the UK’s most spectacular birds such as peregrine falcons, buzzards, hen harriers, kestrels and goshawks.

In the RSPB’s Northern England region there were 273 reported incidents in 2006 – 137 in 2005 – of which 99 involved birds of prey.

In Derbyshire there were 12 reported incidents of bird of prey persecution, including the unexplained disappearance of buzzards, hen harriers and goshawks.