RURAL CRIME | NATIONAL OPERATION

Officers from our rural and wildlife crime team are supporting an annual national operation by the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, to disrupt, deter, and prosecute those involved in egg theft, nest disturbance, and other wildlife crimes targeting birds.

The operation, which is in its 29th year, acknowledges that this damaging type of wildlife crime remains a real and active threat.

PC Darren Wilkes, of Cannock local policing team, who is part of our rural and wildlife crime team, said: “A small number of determined offenders continue to raid nests, sometimes taking entire clutches from the UK’s rarest and most vulnerable species.

“These eggs often end up hidden in secret collections or traded internationally, causing long-term harm to conservation efforts and the recovery of threatened bird populations.

“Raising public awareness remains one of the most effective tools in stopping offenders who carry out this criminality from March until September. It causes real harm to some of our most vulnerable species and undermines decades of conservation work. We are determined to protect our wildlife and identify those responsible for this upsetting and damaging crime.”

To report rural and wildlife crime in your area, call us on 101, use Live Chat on our website, or call 999 in an emergency.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.