A former gamekeeper has admitted to poisoning birds of prey at a farm in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. David Whitefield, 41, admitted poisoning four buzzards with chloralose baits at Coulter Allers Farm, where he was employed as gamekeeper, between March and November 2009.

image expired

Whitefield today pleaded guilty of poisoning the birds at Lanark Sheriff Court. The court heard how he was caught after Scottish SPCA officers and police searched the farm where Whitehead, who has a previous conviction for a similar offence, ran a pheasant and partridge shoot.

Officers found a coffee jar and a bucket containing Alpha Chloralose on Mr Whitehead’s premises, also used as a rodenticide, and four buzzard carcasses in various states of decomposition.

Speaking afterwards, area procurator fiscal Tom Dysart said, "The use of poison to kill birds of prey is totally unacceptable. David Whitefield had a previous conviction for a similar offence and was well aware of the law and the penalties he faced for breaking it in this manner. It is of the utmost importance that we protectScotland's rich natural heritage, and this includes the wildlife that live within it."

Sentencing has been deferred until next month.

Last month the RSPB called for more stringent restrictions on poisons commonly used to kill wildlife. The charity said such laws had been introduced in Scotland and were already having an effect. It called for regulation to be rolled out throughout the UK.

Last year in Britain there were 128 reports of birds of prey poisoning, though an RSPB spokesperson said this figure was "quite literally the tip of the ice berg."  

Tweet