Spring success over egg thieves

Rare birds are under threat from egg thieves

Police and wildlife groups are reporting a successful spring in the fight against egg thieves.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland said no thieves had been sighted and no nests had been disturbed during the breeding season.

Police said greater public awareness and tougher sentences were combining to make vulnerable nesting areas safer.

But both have warned that more needs to be done to reduce the threat from wildlife criminals.

PC Findlay Christine, wildlife liaison officer on the Isle of Mull, Argyll, said: "This is a massive step forward in the protection of our wildlife.

"When the public get passionate about their surroundings and lend a helping hand, it means great things for species such as golden eagles and sea eagles.

'Soft touch'

"I suspect that part of this is the tougher legislation that protects wildlife from such criminals."

Courts in Scotland will be given wider sentencing powers to deal with wildlife criminals later this year when the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill goes before Holyrood.

Similar powers have already been granted to courts in England and Wales under the Criminal Justice Act.

Lloyd Austin, of RSPB Scotland, said: "The new executive must progress this as quickly as possible so that this country is no longer a soft touch."