Police seek men over Shropshire badger sett incident
Police today released a picture of one of two men they want to speak to after a badger sett was filled in.
The incident happened near Shrewsbury, although the protected animals do not appear to have been harmed.
Helen Blake, of West Mercia Police, said: "Two men on quad bikes were seen arriving in the area in the morning and are thought to have information about the filling of several badger tunnels in a sett on the embankment of the old Severn Valley railway, north west of the village of Cross Houses, near Berrington."
The police investigation has been ongoing since the matter was reported on Saturday, March 21.
Badger setts are protected by law.
Jan Mckelvey, conservation manager at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said this was not an isolated incident.
She said: "It is a very cruel and disturbing thing to happen and it is totally illegal. The people that are doing this will know that against the law.
"It does happen, it is not an isolated thing. What is difficult is getting proof which is why the police are keen for people to come forward with any information which could help."
Mrs Mckelvey said that badger setts can be filled in for a number of reasons - to prevent the badgers getting back in, or to bury them underground.
She said that some incidents have also seen all sett entrances sealed off apart from one, with dogs then sent inside or poison used to kill the animals.
Anyone who recognises the man in the image or the description of the second man, is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident reference 665s of 210315.
