Multi-millionaire retailer illegally felled trees ‘to build track to his pheasant shoot’

A wealthy businessman accused of turning picturesque woodland into a wasteland to build a track to his pheasant shoot has been ordered to pay out almost £1 million. By Rosa Silverman, Sally Wardle and agencies 01 Aug 2013 Philip Day, who owns the Edinburgh Woollen Mill chain and is said to be as rich as …

Our good friends in South Yorkshire

Sheffield & Doncaster Sabs - End of Season Report 2013 Sheffield & Doncaster Sabs have had a busy and successful season of sabbing hunts and shoots in the North, between August 2012 and March 2013. The rain in the Summer helped a lot by forcing hunts to delay the start of their seasons considerably (as …

Hunt Saboteurs stop grouse shoot on Saddleworth Moor

Hunt saboteurs from the North of England have stopped a grouse shoot that was taking place on Saddleworth Moor, between Holmfirth and Oldham. Today is the first Saturday of the grouse shooting season, one of the most prestigious and expensive days in the shooting calendar, where each customer will pay hundreds of pounds to blast …

But on the other hand

Wildlife minister Richard Benyon under fire in another game-shooting case Grouse estate burnt peatland that formed habitat of rare species – but legal case was dropped Wednesday, 30 May 2012 Richard Benyon, the Wildlife minister, was under pressure last night to explain what influence he had on a decision to drop landmark legal proceedings against …

Words fail me yet again!!!

Conservationists have condemned plans that would allow buzzard nests to be destroyed and the birds of prey taken into captivity to protect pheasant shoots. The Environment Department (Defra) is to spend up to £375,000 researching ways to keep buzzards from targeting captive-reared pheasants. Proposed methods include destroying nests to prevent birds breeding, catching and relocating …

Rural gangs linked to drug operations

Poaching and hare coursing gangs often linked with major drugs operations are behind most crimes against wildlife. In Cumbria last year, 363 wildlife crimes were reported to the police and of those 211 involved poaching, hare coursing and lamping – hunting animals at night with high-powered lights. In one incident at Sandysyke near Longtown, three …

Trying to connect with the common man/woman?

Lieutenant General Sir Barney White-Spunner, has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Countryside Alliance and Director of the Countryside Alliance Foundation with effect from 9th February. I've heard he is a binman and lives in a council flat, (not that there is anything wrong with that)  

Pensioner admits firearms and pesticides possession

A PENSIONER has admitted possessing illegal pesticides and firearms without a certificate on his farm. Allan Armistead, 74, appeared at Furness Magistrates’ Court today (6) charged with a string of offences concerning the illegal storing of pesticides, firearms and ammunition. Armistead pleaded guilty to seven counts of storing a pesticide, which included Strychnine, Cymag, Phosdrin …

My homage to the ‘good old gamekeeper’

With the grouse season about to start on the 12th August and the pheasant season starting on 1st October I thought I would put a few articles up all about the 'good old gamekeeper'. Former Holkham Estate gamekeeper given conditional discharge Derbyshire gamekeeper guilty of trapping birds of prey Gamekeeper fined for wilfully killing badger Gamekeeper fined …

Derbyshire gamekeeper guilty of trapping birds of prey

  A gamekeeper illegally used a cage trap baited with a live pigeon to catch birds of prey, magistrates have found. A gamekeeper working on National Trust land has been found guilty of illegally trapping birds of prey in the Peak District. Glenn Brown, 39, of Upper Derwent Valley, was filmed using a cage with …