Police criticised over bird of prey poisoning in Pentland Hills

The dead peregrine falcon was found in Green Cleuch in the Pentland Hills

An environmental pressure group has criticised Police Scotland for failing to alert the public after a falcon died from a banned poison in a regional park near Edinburgh.

Raptor Persecution UK claimed the police should have warned people at the start of the summer after a peregrine was found dead in the Pentland Hills.

The police said it was poisoned in what appears to have been a deliberate act.

The investigation has concluded and no further action is being taken.

Police Scotland received the report of a dead peregrine falcon on 25 May in Green Cleuch in the Pentland Hills.

'Tougher penalties'

Dr Ruth Tingay, of Raptor Persecution UK, said: "We hadn't seen any media from Police Scotland about this poisoned peregrine - no appeals for information, no warnings to the public about the use of a banned poison in a regional park popular with the visiting public, nothing.

"Why wasn't this case publicised? If we hadn't chased it up, would it ever have come to light?

"This was a banned poison. We don't know which one because that's a secret apparently, but we do know it's one of eight poisons listed on The Possession of Pesticides (Scotland) Order 2005 which are so dangerous that it's an offence to even possess the stuff, let alone use it.

"And to use it in the Pentland Hills Regional Park - an area that attracts approximately 600,000 visitors a year, including families walking with children and pets. Why weren't those visitors warned that a banned poison had been used that could have potentially fatal consequences if even touched?"

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, said she was shocked and saddened by the bird's death.

"Scotland's birds of prey are supposedly protected, yet persecution is rife and rarely met with justice," she said.

"That a protected species could be killed using a deadly poison in a regional park that is visited by over half a million people every year is shocking.

"I will be asking questions of the Scottish government and Police Scotland to get to the bottom of this failure to protect our wildlife and the public.

Det Con Andrew Loughlin, of Police Scotland, said: "After extensive inquiries were carried out in collaboration with partner organisations, the bird was found to have been poisoned.

"Our investigation has concluded that this appears to have been deliberate as we do not believe that under the circumstances the poison could have been used legitimately.

"The investigation has now concluded and no further police action is being taken at this time."