News


downsmail.co.uk Gun change ‘threat to songbirds’


FARMERS and conservationists are aghast at a decision to revoke shooting licences, which they claimwill endanger rare songbirds.


Natural England’s effective ban


on the control of “pest” species such as magpies and other crows willput some ofKent’s fragilepop- ulations of birds, like linnets and yellowhammers, in jeopardy. Landowners argue the decision


to ban the shooting of birds under a general licence has come at a time of year when breeding birds are nesting andvulnerable to attack by predating birds, which will eat eggs or young. Pressure group Wild Justice,


headed by the TV presenter Chris Packham, achieved the instant change, meaning that farmers must now hurriedly apply for an individual licence. Langley wildlife conservationist


Theo McCausland, himself a gun licence holder, said: “It’s well-in- tentioned and I get whyWild Jus- tice has done it. Not the best time of year to do it, though. “Magpies and other nest-raiders


will only do what is natural to them and sometimes it is sensible to control numbers.”


A rare linnet, and right, wildlife conservationist TheoMcCausland Mr McCausland, who works as


a tree surgeon on farms and es- tates, added: “Farmers and landowners are conservationists, notwanton killers. “It annoys me a lot that a well-


educatedman like Chris Packham wouldshoothimself inthe foot like this, so to speak.” Marden farmer PeterHall, of the


Target fruit and cereal growing farm, told a national newspaper that his hedgerows house the in-


credibly rare yellowhammers and linnets. Both species are on the RSPB


“red” list.Mr Hall said: “Had this happened in December it would have been fine, but 36 hours’warn- ing at this critical time is not a great deal. While once we only had a pair of yellowhammers on the farm, we recorded 196 in one site in the course of 12months. “There are flocks of linnets, thou- sands of linnets. It is depressing –


Marathon outfit stolen Appeal after


assault claim OFFICERS have released this CCTV image after a man was found unconscious in Maidstone High Street in the early hours of Sunday,April 28. Police were called to the High


Street at about 6.15am, and the victimwas rushed to hospital. Inquiries have now begun into


how the man, in his 40s, was found collapsed in the street. The victimreported being punched in the head after a night out in town. Anyone who witnessed the al-


leged assault orwith information about the person in the image, is asked to call the appeal line on 01622 604100, quoting reference 46/76103/19, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.


28 Maidstone June 2019


A LONDON Marathon runner from Maid- stone who dressed up as Big Ben was horri- fied when he found out his costume had been stolen from out- side a pub. According to re-


ports, TV personality Piers Morgan has of- fered £1,000 for its re- turn to quantity surveyor Lukas Bates. Mr Bates' was seen


running for Dementia Revolution during the TV coverage and un- able to cross the fin- ishing line because of the height of the cos- tume. The Perryfield Street


resident was going to donate the outfit to a pub landlord in Lon- don after the race when he discovered someone had taken it. He raised £1,500 for


the charity.


we’re not into slaughtering or the extermination of anything, butwe control our magpies using traps which were absolutely legal until the ban. “We did this annually for a scant


two months. This gives the song- birds the chance to have one unin- terrupted clutch without it being plundered.” TimBreitmeyer,president of the


landowners’ bodyCLA, said: “The abrupt halt to the licensing system leaves our members in complete limbo, unsure ofwhat they can do to protect their crops, young live- stock or farmland birds. “A burdensome administrative


process will only exacerbate the unintended consequences of an ill thought-through decision. This time,Natural England has to get it right and ensure that the likely flood of newapplications are dealt with speedily and efficiently.” Natural England said: “This is


not a ban on control, it is a change to the licences that allowcontrol to take place.”


Knife threat


boy arrested A TEENAGER has been arrested after reports of threatening be- haviour with a knife in Maid- stone. Kent Police were called to a re-


port of a disturbance in The Broadway. A 17-year-old male from Chatham was arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of a bladed article in a public place.Hewas later released pend- ing further investigation. A spokesman for Kent Police


said: “Kent Police takes a zero- tolerance approach to knife crime and those associated with it, and this arrest forms part of an ongo- ing crackdown across


the


county.” Maidstone Chief Inspector Ray


Quiller said: “Our officers are continuing to take robust and proactive action to target anyone who thinks that carrying a knife or aweapon is acceptable. “Kent Police have a number of


measures in place to detect, stop and search those who we believe may be carryingweapons.” The incident was reported at 7.30pmonApril 8.


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