Calls to get tough on wildlife crime and hunt bullies

WEAK laws, insufficient police training and a broken crime reporting system are leaving British wildlife defenceless, a report has warned.

- NADA FARHOUD

It is the stark message from animal welfare charity Nature-watch, which is calling on the government to take urgent action to protect badgers, birds, foxes, hedgehogs and other precious species.

Drawing on Freedom of Information responses from 33 police forces and a detailed survey of 128 frontline officers and call handlers, the report exposes serious gaps in how wildlife crime is recorded, investigated and prosecuted.