Subsidy cut after poison offence

Masked George Aitken was convicted at Selkirk Sheriff Court

A Borders farmer has become the first UK landowner to have his agricultural subsidies cut after his gamekeeper was convicted of wildlife crime offences.

James McDougal runs Blythe Farm and its small shooting estate near Lauder.

The Scottish Government has now cut almost £8,000 from his single farm payment and beef calf scheme payments.

Gamekeeper George Aitken was convicted at Selkirk Sheriff Court in June of setting traps holding live pigeons and lacing dead pheasants with poison.

He was sentenced to carry out 220 hours community service.

Landowners and farmers receive very significant public subsidies, in return for which they are supposed to be good stewards of the environment Stuart Housden RSPB Scotland director

Now the government has cut £7,919 from his employer's European farming grants for failing to protect wildlife.

It is the first time ministers have used the powers - which came into force four years ago - to dock subsidies for environmental crimes.

Stuart Housden, director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland, said it looked to the government to apply the laws "firmly but fairly".

"Landowners and farmers receive very significant public subsidies, in return for which they are supposed to be good stewards of the environment," he said.

"Where breaches of the regulations governing these subsidies occur we would expect the government to review the subsidy payments and apply sanctions that are appropriate to the case."

He added that he was surprised only one case had so far been dealt with in this way.

Never authorised

Mr McDougal employs Aitken on a small pheasant shoot he runs for friends on his land.

It is understood he initially appealed against the cut, claiming it was excessive and adding that he had never authorised the gamekeeper to use illegal poison or traps.

He said he had been unfairly singled out as, unlike grouse moors, his pheasant shoot was a small-scale, private affair.

Mr McDougal said he had also warned Aitken that he would be sacked for a repeat offence.

However, in the wake of high-profile wildlife crime offences, Environment Minister Mike Russell has asked officials to use their powers more often.