£13,0000 fine for eagle breeder who kept birds in squalor

Awful conditions shock inspectors in SSPCA raid

- DAVID MEIKLE

THE owner of an eagle breeding centre who kept dozens of birds in squalid conditions has been fined more than £13,000.

Andrew Knowles-Brown, 70, kept a variety of birds including 90 eagles, six parrots and a tawny owl in an appalling state at his Scottish Eagle Centre near Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire.

He established the centre over 30 years ago and claims it is the largest breeding facility in the world.

But the site was raided by the Scottish SPCA and police amid concerns for the welfare of the birds.

They were found housed in cramped and filthy conditions.