Catching the falcon killer: Reward offered for peregrine poisoner
A business and a wildlife group have both offered hundreds of pounds to catch the killer of two peregrine falcons on a Shropshire hill.
Both the Shropshire Peregrine Group and firm ACM Training, which is based near the unlucky birds' nest site, have urged anyone who knows anything about the poisoning of two protected birds on Clee Hill to come forward – for a cash reward, if their information leads to a conviction.
The birds, a male and female with three chicks, were discovered dead close to their nest at the end of May. The chicks were rescued and each placed with a different foster family, one monitored on camera at Salisbury Cathedral, with all three now doing well.
But peregrine falcons are protected birds and their deliberate killing is a criminal offence.
Clee Hill, near Ludlow, is a notorious blackspot for the illegal killing of the birds, with four peregrines found poisoned with Diazinon there in recent years – two in 2010, one in 2011 and another in 2015.
The latest deaths are suspected to be from the same cause and both West Mercia Police and the RSPB are investigating the incident.
But successful prosecutions are rare as it is a hard offence to prove, which is why ACM Training, which is based at Coreley near the nest site, is offering the reward, said Richard Uridge, who runs the firm which provides communications training to organisations including the RSPB.
He said: “We hope that the offer will persuade somebody to do the decent thing and contact the police with information. Somebody, somewhere knows what happen to these magnificent birds and I’d urge them to come forward.
“The site where these birds nest is close to our office so we feel a close affinity to the peregrines. I often cycle past and take friends and family to see them and it breaks my heart that anybody should do such a thing.”
Meanwhile John Turner of Shropshire Peregrine Group, who was involved in the rescue of the chicks, said: “There is a strong feeling locally that this has gone on long enough. Clee Hill has a long history of peregrine persecution and this is not acceptable.
"We believe someone in the local community will know something, and urge them to contact the police. The Shropshire Peregrine Group is offering £1,000 reward in exchange for information that leads to a conviction.”
Anyone with information is asked to call West Mercia Police on 101, quoting incident reference 0676s of May 30.
Anyone who finds a wild bird they suspect has been illegally killed is asked to contact RSPB investigations on 01767 680551 or fill in the form on the body's website www.rspb.org.uk.
