PRESS NOTIFICATION – Background information only.
Details may be subject to change.
Date: April 1st - 2nd 2008 (confirmed 2 day trial)
Venue: Skegness Magistrates Court
Defendant: Richard Pearson (DOB 01/05/66) of Phelps Place Cleethorpes
Charges: The defendant is charged on seven counts under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Possession of 653 Schedule 1 bird eggs
Possession of 6477 wild bird eggs
Taking of 5 chough eggs from a location in North Wales on April 16th
2006.
Taking of 3 peregrine falcon eggs from a location in North Wales on
April 16th 2006.
Taking of 4 barn owl eggs from a location in Lincolnshire on April 28th
2005.
Having items for the purpose of committing an offence under Section 1
of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 – egg blowing kit, rubber
dingy, padded containers, egg boxes, maps, camera and books.
Possession of 21 dead wild birds.
Background Information:
During a search warrant executed at the defendant’s home address on
November 8th 2006 by wildlife officers from Lincolnshire Police and
RSPB Investigations, a huge number of wild birds' eggs and a number of
dead wild birds were seized along with egg collecting paraphernalia.
RSPB examination of the collection revealed it contained over 7000 wild
birds eggs with significantly 653 of these being from rare species
listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
In conservation terms, this is one of the most significant seizures of
birds’ eggs since the inception of the Wildlife and Countryside Act
1981 and certainly the largest seizure in the last decade.
Eggs of some of the UK’s rarest nesting species were found in the
collection including: golden eagle, little tern, osprey, black-necked
grebe, avocet, black-tailed godwit, stone-curlew, chough, peregrine
falcon and red-throated diver.
Many of these species receive a considerable amount of conservation
action and financial recourses from a variety of organisations
including RSPB, because they are birds of high conservation concern
with small and fragile breeding populations. During the breeding season
many of the nests of these birds are monitored and in some cases even
protected around the clock by hundreds of volunteers and wardens at
their various nesting locations in the UK.
The RSPB believes there are around 100 active egg collectors in the UK.
Under tough legislation introduced in the Countryside and Rights of Way
Act 2000, the maximum penalty for taking or possessing one wild bird’s
egg is six months imprisonment and/or a fine of £5000. Since the Act
was introduced, ten egg collectors have been sent to prison.
The Crown Prosecution Service is bringing this case to court.
Lincolnshire Police Wildlife Crime Officers PC Nigel Lound and PC
Stuart Carmichael and RSPB Investigations Officer Mark Thomas will be
attending court.
Some of the eggs will be available in court and mini DV footage of the
search warrant will be released after the trial. For further
information and details for obtaining images/footage please contact,
Mark Thomas (RSPB Investigations) on 07803 241 452 or RSPB Press Office
01767 681577.
This trial will definitely go ahead on these dates.
