"Call 999 to report squirrel drownings" - police appeal (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

"Call 999 to report squirrel drownings" - police appeal

11:53am Tuesday 7th October 2008 in

By Carl Brown »

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ALLOTMENT holders who trap and drown squirrels are being targeted by police - and officers are urging people to call 999 if they witness them doing it.

Waltham Forest police are alarmed that some allotment holders have been advising their fellow gardeners that it is okay to drown the animals.

But drowning mammals is a criminal offence under the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 and carries a maximum penalty of a £5,000 fine or six months in prison.

Sgt Rowan Healey, borough wildlife crime officer, said: "There is clearly a misunderstanding here because anybody advising others to drown squirrels is encouraging them to break the law.

"There are organisations that can give advice on ways to discourage squirrels without harming them and it would be better if any allotment owners who are worried about squirrels consulted one of these groups instead.

"Similar legislation also protects the deliberate harming of foxes.

"The police, together with their partners the RSPCA, will take action against anybody in Waltham Forest found to be breaking the laws that protect our wildlife."

Sgt Healey has not revealed where in Waltham Forest allotment holders have received the advice.

It is not believed that any squirrels have been found drowned.

It is legal to kill squirrels humanely and it is not legal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to release squirrels, so anybody catching one is obliged to kill it, but without causing suffering to the animal.

Police are urging anybody with information about illegal harming of wildlife to contact Sgt healey on 8721 2649 or email rowan.healey@met.police.uk

Officers want people to call 999 if the public see it happening, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Comments(9)

Technomist says...
12:12pm Tue 7 Oct 08

While I am pleased that we have an officer of the rank of Sergeant interested in looking after furry animals, it might be more re-assuring to know what efforts were being prioritsed to deal with violent criminals such as those who attacked staff at the Turkish shop at the bottom of the High Street recently.

There is also an armed robbery attempt at the Blackhorse Road tube station a couple of months back which people have not forgotten about, a shooting outside a community centre, a heist at a cake shop, and two armed raids on bookmakers prior to that being reported in today's Guardian. We still also see the organised gangs such as those who sell smuggled dvds and cigarettes in the High Street in Walthamstow operating with impunity.

We are often told by the police that resources are tight and that frivolous calls waste their time. Add to the above list of un-dealt-with issues corruption, thievery, shoplifting, the periodic outbreaks of inter-gang violence and general yobbishness in the borough and I think the police have a long way to go in making this a low crime area before 999 calls about squirrels should be very high on their list.