He trapped and kept wild birds – but now a York man has been brought to justice for his crimes against nature.
Alan Smith, 59, of Clifton Caravan Site, Water Lane, York, was caught trapping the birds at two rural locations.
His offences came to light when wildlife crime officer PC Graham Bilton noticed a small twin-chambered wire cage trap at an encampment at Gate Helmsley near York.
The trap had been placed on top of a hedge and was actively set. In one of the chambers was a male goldfinch, recently caught in the wild.
PC Bilton, who is also a Scarborough Police rural beat manager, said:
Any other wild bird approaching then activates the trap door which springs shut.
Officers seized the trap and bird. No one was around at the time of the discover but a note was made of the registration numbers of the vehicles present.
Another trap discovered
A few days later on July 6, PC Bilton visited another encampment in Scagglethorpe and saw the same vehicles again.
While there he discovered a cage trap of a similar design. Again it was set on top of a hedge and contained a recently-caught wild male goldfinch.
Smith was arrested at the site and was interviewed by the police and an officer from the RSPCA.
As a result he pleaded guilty to eight wildlife offences at Scarborough Magistrates Court on Monday (July 20).
The offences
| Possessing a wild bird x 2 | Taking a wild bird x 2 | Using a decoy to take a wild bird x 2 | Using a trap to take a wild bird x 2 |
The sentence
| Six-month community order with 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement | £100 fine and £85 costs | £60 victim surcharge | £150 criminal court charge. |
Stressful and miserable for birds
Rescued: two wild goldfinches
Both goldfinches were successfully released back into the wild.
Trapping, possessing and selling wild finches are all offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, “but still remain a widespread problem in the UK,” said PC Bilton.
He added:
This type of crime can have a dramatic effect on local fauna and flora, yet often go unreported and are difficult to investigate.
Inspector Geoffrey Edmond, RSPCA national wildlife coordinator, said the charity were actively on the lookout for people taking birds from the wild.
They are fully protected and suffer much stress when captured in this way and rendered into a miserable life in captivity.
This case highlights the success of the RSPCA working in close partnership with North Yorkshire Police.