Who Do I Report It To?!

[SarzWix]

The OH has just been down the lottie and walked past our old allotment which had a really big, thick old, hawthorn hedge along one side of it. There was definitely a blackbird nesting in it and probably others, but it has, in the last 2 days been chopped to the ground and burnt

I KNOW this is against the law;

All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions (see Exceptions), to:


*intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird

*intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird whilst it is in use or being built

*intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird

*intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird.

But I don't know who you report it to? The police? The environment people at the council?

[BumbleB]

I would start with the RSPB, and see if they want you to report to the police.

[FionaH]

Agreed RSPB for the first instance

[SarzWix]

Sorry, but I don't care if they want me to or not! I want to report it! I just wanted to know who it is that you report it to. If it's the police, I'll be down there in the morning. I am absolutely livid, incandescant even.

[BumbleB]

I found this http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/WBATL_tcm9-132998.pdf

If you search within it for hedgerow act 1997 it says that county council or district council administers the act and a landowner needs to apply to local planning oficer and give 42 days notice before any work to remove hedge can begin.

[SarzWix]

Thank you Bumble B

He certainly can't have given the 42 days notice, because he hasn't had the plot that long

[tamsin]

If you call your local police station (try to aim for non busy time) they may have a wildlife officer they can put you in touch with.

If it was on allotment grounds I'd also report it to the committee.

[Comfreyfan]

Report it to everyone. Sorry no idea on the legalities so I can't help, but it made my blood boil

[Two_Sheds]

Report the destruction of a bird's nest here: The RSPB: Wild birds and the law: Report a wildlife crime

I can't see the police being bothered about it
What a moron.

[pdblake]

Report the destruction of a bird's nest here: [url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/policy/wildbirdslaw/report.asp]
What a moron.

Assuming that they knew it was there.

I know there's been a blackbird nesting in the bottom of our garden for a while now, still not entirely sure whether it's in the trees or the hedge though.

[Nicos]

Well- it just makes you wonder if he actually knew it was illegal to do that...maybe just plain ignorant

[rana]

Upsetting as it maybe, the new allotment holder could well have been ignorant of both the balckbirds nest and the law. And at what point does a hedge acquire the status of hedgerow, thereby gaining legal protection.

[bobleponge]

He may well have been ignorant of the blackbirds nest, however being ignorant of the law is never an excuse.

[SarzWix]

Ignorance is no defence really. And if he'd bothered to open his eyes he'd have seen the blackbird coming and going to feed his wife, or both of them feeding the little ones, plus robins and possibly a thrush who were living in the hedge last year.
I am going to create a fuss about this - over the winter somebody else took out a big length of hedge and there are now only 2 small strips of hawthorn hedge left on the whole site. It sickens me, it really does.
The bloke won't even have gained any extra planting space because the soil next to the hedge is pants and full of lots of rusty metal etc. Neither will he have gained any light. Just to bloody lazy to look after it I expect

[crichmond]

My plot has a fence down one side that my neighbor put up before i came onto the plot, the other side had nothing, but i am slowly rectifying that by planting a new blackthorn hedge its good for the wildlife my bees and for the sloes or it will be in a couple of years when it grows up.