Warning issued after 10 pigeons shot in 10 days

PC Martin Green, from Lincolnshire Police's Rural Crime Action Team, said he found a pigeon which had "clearly been shot" in Bourne

Ten pigeons have been shot in 10 days with some found dead and a number of others injured.

Lincolnshire Police said it was investigating several reports of an individual "shooting pigeons with an air weapon" in the George Street, Recreation Road and Baldwin Grove area of Bourne.

PC Martin Green, from the force's Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), said 10 birds had been shot "over the last 10 days or so" but not all had been killed. A rook had also been shot and was found dead.

According to the RSPCA, pigeons are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it was illegal - except under licence - to take, injure or kill wild birds.

Pigeons 'shot in gardens'

PC Green said he had found a dead pigeon, which had "clearly been shot", in the George Street area on Tuesday.

He said there were reports of "somebody using an air rifle in a built up area and shooting the pigeons."

The officer said there was a "real risk" of pellets potentially ricocheting and injuring others.

"If you've got a problem in your garden, what you should do is apply for an individual licence.

"You can't just go shooting a pigeon in your garden because you don't like them.

"It's not just about the pigeon, it's the risk to people and their properties with pellets being fired indiscriminately from one garden to another garden and causing damage."

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has said only "authorised persons" can be issued with a general licence to kill wild birds and for the purposes of "preventing serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, fisheries or inland waters."

Lincolnshire Police has appealed for anyone with information on the shootings to get in touch.

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