Anger at £90,000 cost of ‘stoat dogs'

Orkney project to protect ground-nesting birds racked up £90,000 bill to buy six dogs and train handlers

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The shocking cost of providing only six dogs to help control invasive stoats on the Orkney Islands has been revealed.

Shooting Times decided to investigate after a tip-off that the dogs were costing tens of thousands of pounds.

However, the cost turned out to be a staggering £90,000 — a figure described as ‘astonishing’ and ‘ridiculous’ by gamekeepers and terrier enthusiasts.