Following on from the poisoning of at least two eagles on hunting land in Dorset a few weeks ago
this disturbing issue has taken another sinister turn.
Raptor Persecution UK take it up:
Last week I blogged about Dorset Police’s refusal to respond to my Freedom of Information request, where I’d asked for copies of all correspondence between the Police and Dorset Conservative MP Chris Loder in relation to the poisoned eagle found dead on a shooting estate in January (see here).
Dorset Police tried to fob me off with an explanation considered by many that lacked any credibility (see here). I have since appealed that refusal notice and have asked for a review. Dorset Police are obliged to respond within a certain time period and he awaits their answer.
I also submitted an identical FoI request to the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Conservative David Sidwick. That response is well overdue and he’ll be following that up again this week.
Meanwhile, this week my colleague Chris Packham has also submitted FoIs to both Dorset Police and the PCC. Chris has previously spoken out about Dorset Police’s decision to end their investigation which came shortly after Mr Loder’s Twitter outburst about how the police shouldn’t be using resources to investigate suspected wildlife crime.
Chris’s FoIs are similar to mine but are more targeted, identifying named police officers who are likely to have been involved in the decision-making process about terminating the investigation on the poisoned eagle.
Here is a redacted copy of Chris’s FoI request to Dorset Police:
Here is a redacted copy of Chris’s FoI request to the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Conservative David Sidwick:
Now, as reported in The Guardian, the Dorset Police Wildlife Team has been disbanded putting many more rare birds at risk.
Isn’t it about time the police, the PCC and Tory MP Chris Loder told us who their paymasters really are and the truth of this issue. It gets more shady as each day passes.
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