Three men questioned over death of goshawk

THREE MEN have been questioned by police over the death of a protected bird of prey on a shoot in the North York Moors that is owned by the Queen.

The head gamekeeper and two underkeepers on the Goathland estate were interviewed under caution by North Yorkshire Police on suspicion of being involved in the goshawk’s death in May.

The crime took place on one of the two managed grouse shoots that make up the Goathland estate. The land is part of the Duchy of Lancaster, which provides a private income to the Queen.

The area is leased to a commercial shooting company called W&G LLP, which in turn have appointed Scottish agents, BH Sporting, to manage the moor.

The three gamekeepers were suspended from their duties by their employers, BH Sporting, and one has since resigned. Police investigations are ongoing, and officers who visited the moor in June found the shoot appeared to be operating as normal, with two of the keepers having been reinstated following their colleague’s resignation.

All three men live in tied properties owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. Search warrants have been executed and the police have sent forensic samples for analysis.

A spokesperson for the Duchy said: “The Duchy expects all shoots operated by tenants on Duchy-owned land to be professionally run and managed using skilled and experienced gamekeepers. Our tenancy agreements make it clear that we require the highest standards of professional behaviour and compliance with national standards and codes of practice.”