New standards ‘sett’ for badger protection

Badgers in one of the UK’s “priority” persecution areas will be safer than ever after officers received specialist wildlife crime prevention training. Dorset Police’s Rural Crimes Unit recently had a field trip to a local farm to help officers learn more about protecting badgers. The training, organised by the Badger Trust and Naturewatch Foundation, provided insights into the animals’ ecology and behaviour, wildlife crime legislation and the law concerning their protection. Officers also had the chance to see a badger sett and gather evidence that could be used in court to prove the existence of an active sett in persecution cases. Police Constable Claire Dinsdale, Dorset Police’s deputy lead for wildlife crime, said badger crimes can be “some of the worst cruelty cases police and other agencies deal with”. She continued: “Badger persecution does happen in Dorset, and it is important we equip our officers with the latest training to catch the perpetrators committing these callous offences. “I would like to thanks the Badger Trust, Naturewatch Foundation and the local farming community for their support in delivering this training and raising awareness of local wildlife crime.” Last year, the Badger Trust received more than 620 reports of badger crime with Dorset emerging as one of the top six priority locations. Badger baiting has been illegal since 1835 when the Cruelty to Animals Act was passed. The creatures received further protection under legislation enacted in 1992, and badger persecution has been classified as a priority for the last eight years by the National Wildlife Crime Unit. According to Andy Swinburne, a former wildlife crime officer, forces do not always effectively deal with badger persecution as wildlife crime training is not a compulsory subject on the National Police Curriculum. He claims that control room officers have been known to dismiss some calls as “not a police matter” and have referred callers instead to charities or council dog wardens. Dominic Dyer, chief executive officer of the Badger Trust, said: “The badger is one of our most iconic wild animals but despite its protected status, it is subject to some of the worst persecution of any species in Britain today. “The police are on the front line of the battle against wildlife crime in Britain and the Badger Trust with the support of the Naturewatch Foundation is ensuring wildlife crime officers across the country are provided with necessary training and expertise to better understand the ecology and behaviour of badgers, and how to deal with badger related wildlife crime.”