Wildlife chicks hatched from seized eggs

Golden Plovers and a Curlew were hatched from the eggs seized during the raid

Four wild birds have hatched out of eggs seized by police during a raid at a house.

The four eggs, three Golden plover and one curlew, were found among a collection of 200 birds' eggs at the house in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Police, along with Royal Society for the Protection of Birds officers found seven eggs in an incubator.

After taking them to safety three Golden Plover chicks and one Curlew hatched and have been released.

Some of the eggs in the incubator had cracks or were infected and went bad.

A 63-year-old man has been arrested and released under investigation as inquiries are carried out by South Yorkshire Police, the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the RSPB.

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During the raid on the property officers also found taxidermy items and books.

The eggs from the incubator were taken to a nursery in Thorgumbald, East Yorkshire, where they were kept until they hatched.

Charles Hardcastle from the nursery, said: "When we first received the eggs we were concerned they might not hatch.

"But these ones did hatch and luckily and we managed to rear three lovely plovers and one lovely curlew.

"We're so pleased with how well they've done. It's sad seeing them go, any parent will know what that's like, but also really exciting to see them take this next step into the wider world.

"These birds would have had no chance of life had they been left as they were.

"Now when we see a Curlew or a Golden Plover flying over, we'll be wondering if it's one of ours."

Howard Jones, RSPB Investigations Officer, said: "We're delighted to see a happy end to this story.

"Thankfully very few egg collecting cases come to light these days, but finding live eggs, which have then gone on to hatch, is unprecedented."

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