Birds of prey shooting conspirator convicted
The above photograph appears by courtesy of
Friends of the Dales
The Friends of the Dales have welcomed the prosecution and conviction of a Grassington gamekeeper at York Magistrates Court following a guilty plea on 29th January 2026 for conspiring to kill a hen harrier on 2nd October 2024. According to North Yorkshire Police it is thought to be the first time a charge of encouraging or assistance an offence under the Serious Crimes Act 2007 has been used in relation to a protected bird of prey prosecution.
Footage and sound recordings obtained lawfully by the RSPB's investigations team were instrumental in detecting this crime and securing the conviction. Without this painstaking collection of evidence the case would never have been brought to prosecution.
During the trial the judge noted that there are no sentencing guidelines for wildlife crime. Under general guidelines a custodial sentence of six months or unpaid community work were options but the final outcome in this case cas a fine of £400 per offence plus costs.
Ann Shadrake, Executive Director of the Friends of the Dales commented: "In our view this paltry amount does not reflect the seriousness of the crime nor the impact on rare and beautiful birds of prey. We are campaigning for the introduction of specific sentencing guidelines for wildlife crime including harsher penalties.
"The relentless persecution of birds of prey continues despite decades of legal protection and dedicated investigation and campaigning work by conservation charities and the police. We know there were 152 confirmed incidents of raptor persecution, including 41 involving hen harriers, over a recent 15-year period in the Yorkshire Dales. Hardly a month goes by without further persecution being reported, and untold more crimes will have occurred completely undetected due to its remote and isolated terrain. Unfortunately, these crimes are strongly associated with the gamebird shooting industry which is a major land-use in the dales, so we are joining others in calling for its effective regulation and licensing.
"We urge those who live in, work in, and visit the national park to support our Eyes on the Skies campaign and learn the signs of wildlife crime, protect evidence and report their concerns directly to the police or RSPB. The Yorkshire Dales National Park should be a haven for wildlife. Not a blackspot of wildlife crime."
Please click here for more information about birds of prey and birdwatching in the Yorkshire Dales. You can also visit the Friends of the Dales website to find out more about their campaigns.
[News item based on material supplied by the Friends of the Dales posted by Eagle Intermedia - February 2026.]
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