A ROW has erupted after a Dorset MP suggested police should not be wasting resources probing a wildlife crime after an investigation was launched into the death of two rare eagles - one of which was found dead in the county.
Wildlife campaigner and TV presenter Chris Packham led the criticism against remarks made by West Dorset MP Chris Loder who said police should instead focus resources on targeting county lines drug networks.
Mr Packham said Mr Loder's comments were 'disgusting and sinister'.
As reported in the Echo yesterday, Dorset Police appealed for information from the public to help find out what could have caused the death of the white-tailed eagles.
You couldn’t make it up . . . and you don’t have to . . . as @chrisloder calls upon @dorsetpolice to NOT investigate crime (white-tailed eagles). Not just undemocratic but sinister . I cannot quite believe the disgusting state of some of our elected representatives . https://t.co/Yn36seZ6KH
— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) February 11, 2022
The birds had been released from the Isle of Wight as part of a reintroduction project by Forestry England in a bid to bring the breed back to the country after an absence of over 240 years. Two of the eagles were found dead, including one in Dorset, following multi-agency operations in the south of England.
Writing on Twitter, Mr Loder said: "Dorset is not the place for eagles to be reintroduced. I’m not challenging government for more money for Dorset so it goes on this.
"I don’t condone this at all, but I want Dorset Police to focus on county lines rather than spend time and resources on this."
His tweet prompted a raft of criticism, with people showing their support for the work of the police's wildlife unit and saying the incident should be investigated, especially if the birds had been killed deliberately.
Chris Packham, who has presented the BBC Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch programmes, also waded in.
He said: “You couldn’t make it up and you don’t have to, as Chris Loder calls upon Dorset Police to not investigate crime (white-tailed eagles).
“Not just undemocratic but sinister. I cannot quite believe the disgusting state of some of our elected representatives.”
Dorset Police did not want to comment on Mr Loder's remarks.
Mr Loder told the Echo: "The number of white-tailed eagles have boomed in areas where they have been released.
"In Scotland for example, farmers' and crofters' healthy sheep and lambs being attacked and killed by these giant birds of prey - as reported by Scottish Natural Heritage (see link below).
"Farmers have already been under attack from those seeking to remove their rights to control the numbers of corvid birds that attack and kill lambs. Now they face a new onslaught from these eagles.
"I'm a farmer's son. I have brought in new laws (Animal Welfare Sentencing Act) to protect animals since I was elected in Dorset.
"We're approaching peak lambing season already and every year we see new born lambs with their eyes pecked out in minutes by these birds.
"The fact that I as a farmer's son, who has a different opinion on these enormous predators, but come under this sort of attack by Chris Packham is indicative of the approach that his followers have to our farmers in the UK, and I'm only too pleased to stand up to this bullying nonsense on their behalf.
"We have everything from drug crime to our livestock attacked and killed on a regular basis and do not get the level of attention needed. My point on Twitter is that Dorset is not the place for these eagles and the drug crime and livestock attacks are, in my opinion requiring attention first."
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