Poisoned buzzard had enough toxin to 'kill a child'

The buzzard was found by a member of the public on moorland

A dead buzzard found on moorland had enough poison in it to "kill a child", the RSPB has said.

It was found on Live Moor, near Swainby, North Yorkshire, in March, but forensic tests have only just been completed.

North Yorkshire Police said the high levels of toxin meant the bird could not have ingested it by accident.

The county is one of the areas with the highest number of crimes against birds of prey, according to RSPB data.

"Buzzards are a protected species yet continue to be relentlessly shot, trapped and poisoned in North Yorkshire," Howard Jones from the organisation said.

"Alphachloralose is a commonly abused product in the illegal killing of birds of prey. The amount of it found in this bird was enough to kill a human child."

Insp Matt Hagen, from North Yorkshire Police, said the poison was commonly used in rodenticides to kill mice, but was not permitted for use outdoors and was only used at a small dose.

"As such, there is no way this buzzard could have come into contact with such a high concentration of this poison by accident and we believe someone deliberately set out to kill this bird by poisoning," he said.

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