²ÝÁñÉçÇø

Former gamekeeper sentenced after killing protected bird of prey with a stick

North Yorkshire Police said RSPB covert cameras had shown Thomas Munday entering a cage trap and striking a common buzzard with a stick, killing it, then tossing it into the front of an all-terrain vehicle and leaving

Chris Brayford
clock • 2 min read
North Yorkshire Police's Rural Taskforce Inspector Mark Earnshaw said: "In the UK, all wild birds are protected by law. As this case shows, we will take robust and effective action to identify perpetrators and put them before the courts."
Image:

North Yorkshire Police's Rural Taskforce Inspector Mark Earnshaw said: "In the UK, all wild birds are protected by law. As this case shows, we will take robust and effective action to identify perpetrators and put them before the courts."

A man has been fined more than £800 after beating a protected wild bird to death with a stick. North Yorkshire Police said Thomas Munday, a former gamekeeper at an estate near Malton, was sentenced...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

New to ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358

Ìý

More on Rural crime

Urgent calls for information on suspected stolen lambs in West Yorkshire

Urgent calls for information on suspected stolen lambs in West Yorkshire

On Monday (January 12) three gimmer lambs were reported missing from Lane end Farm in Bradford

clock 13 January 2026 • 1 min read
Former gamekeeper sentenced after killing protected bird of prey with a stick

Former gamekeeper sentenced after killing protected bird of prey with a stick

North Yorkshire Police said RSPB covert cameras had shown Thomas Munday entering a cage trap and striking a common buzzard with a stick, killing it, then tossing it into the front of an all-terrain vehicle and leaving

Chris Brayford
clock 13 January 2026 • 2 min read
NSA puts dog owners in the spotlight with new sheep worrying study

NSA puts dog owners in the spotlight with new sheep worrying study

As harsher penalties are set to be introduced, the organisation says its survey aims to continue supporting farmers and raising awareness

clock 12 January 2026 • 2 min read