Fine for interfering with a badger sett
NFBG - 26th September 2000
The NFBG this week welcomed the firm stance
taken by the court in a case of illegal blocking of a badger sett.
On the 19 September 2000, at Southend Magistrates
Court, Brian Anthony Holder was found guilty of interfering with a
badger sett in his garden, in Hockley, Essex, by obstructing sett
entrances.
In sentencing Holder to a £500 fine plus £250
costs, the Magistrates made it clear that the illegal blocking of
badger setts is unnecessary and is not to be tolerated. The
Magistrates also expressed their disapproval of the defendant's
lack of cooperation with the police – he refused to allow the
police to examine the sett and refused to be interviewed by the
police.
Dr Elaine King, Conservation Officer for the NFBG said, “This
result sends out the clear message that the courts will not
tolerate unnecessary interference with badger setts.”
Interfering with badger setts can cause suffering and even
death for the occupants. The timely intervention by the Ministry
of Agriculture's Farming and Rural Conservation Agency, ably
supported by the police, apparently ensured that this did not
happen in this case....
Licences to prevent serious damage to property
(including land, crops and poultry) are issued by MAFF in England,
NAWAD in Wales and SERAD in Scotland. Damage licences can allow
the interference with, and/or closure of setts. In some cases,
licences are issued to allow the killing of badgers, although this
is generally a last resort and only a handful of such licences are
issued each year....
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