Members will be delighted to know that at our national AGM in March next year, we have an additional workshop, on this very topic.

Sgt. Stuart Grainger of the N Yorks Rural Crime Unit will be with us on the Friday evening to talk about his work.

Thanks Teresa for posting this. I personally believe it is critical that members have an appreciation of this and can identify red flags and report concerns where identified.

You may know that there is a lot of illegal persecution / killing of birds of prey – raptors, throughout the country, often associated with the country’s uplands and moorlands.
The North Yorkshire Police force took the initiative to set up Operation Owl – to provide awareness and information about the problem. This initiative has now been signed up to by police forces countywide and there is a website here:

https://www.operationowl.com/

The website gives information about signs to look out for and how to report any suspected illegal activity. The ‘Why this is Important’ section suggests that walking groups may be able to help because walkers tend to get a bit more off the beaten track than many. I'd like to think that members would want to be aware of the issue, know what to look out for and how to report any suspicious activity.