Botham and BBC host in clash over killing pheasants to feed the poor
SIR Ian Botham was involved in a row with a radio interviewer yesterday over his plans to feed the poor from his pheasant shoots.
The former England cricket star, known as Beefy, was speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about his pledge to donate 10,000 pheasants and partridges that are shot on his estates to food banks.
The 61-year-old has vowed to pay to turn the pheasants into casseroles and the partridges into curries, in a scheme costing around £40,000. For every meal bought, one will be donated to the homeless.
But Sir Ian, knighted for charity work in 2007, became agitated when presenter Rachel Burden, 42, raised the question of shooting birds for sport, interrupting her and accusing her of ‘having an agenda’.
During the interview, Sir Ian said: ‘We rear the birds, we shoot birds, the birds have a normal life – we
‘I don’t see what your problem is’
don’t shoot every bird we raise, believe me; nowhere near it.’
Miss Burden said: ‘I think that’s where a lot of people perhaps have some trouble with shooting as a sport. We know that millions of birds, up to 50million birds, are bred each year to be shot as a sport.’
Interrupting her, Sir Ian said: ‘And how many chickens? How many chickens are bred with a six-week life?’ Miss Burden replied saying that it is the shooting for sport that some have a problem with.’ But Sir Ian said: ‘And what’s the issue?’
He then gave an impassioned defence of the scheme to donate game birds in an effort to provide 500,000 free meals each year.
The meals are donated to those in need by the Country Food Trust through charities including FareShare, Veterans Aid and the Salvation Army. He said: ‘We are trying to help 14million people in this country who go without a proper feed. For every single [pheasant casserole and partridge curry] bought by the public, we will donate one. I don’t see what your problem is with that.’
Miss Burden then asked if there was a connection between grouse shooting and the decimation of the hen harrier population. Sir Ian said: ‘There’s no connection. You are wrong. It’s nothing to do with grouse. This is about pheasant casserole and partridge curry that we are giving. If you have a better solution, I’m ready to hear it.’
As the two bickered live on air, cohost Nicky Campbell intervened and praised Sir Ian for the scheme.