Riddle of Little Owl’s death on Queen’s estate

She has decided to forsake her traditional family Christmas at Sandringham f or the first time in 33 years. But, as she and Prince Philip remain at Windsor over the festive period, the Queen will no doubt have been alarmed to learn about the disquieting death of an owl killed in a trap on her beloved Norfolk estate .

Its inadvertent demise was called to the attention of the RSPCA and the local constabulary.

The incident happened in May but only became the subject of an investigation this month. ‘We were contacted by a man wishing to inform us that on May 29 this year he found a Little Owl caught in a Fenn Trap on the Sandringham estate next to Flitcham Barns,’ says the National Anti-Snaring Campaign.

It claims a Fenn Trap , which is designed to kill pests such as rats and squirrels, can also put stoats at risk — contrary to the Spring Traps Approval Order which came into operation last April.

The estate insists that its tenants punctiliously observe the spirit as well as the letter of the law. ‘As a working estate, Sandringham adheres to all the appropriate standards and regulations required ,’ a spokesman tells me.

Norfolk Constabulary confirms that everything is in order. ‘There haven’t been any further occurrences ,’ a spokeswoman tells me, explaining that ‘ words of advice’ were given by the RSPCA to Sandringham’s head [game] keeper.

An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘We were very concerned this poor animal had died in this trap and gave advice to make sure it didn’t happen again.’ A spokesman for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation emphasises that Fenn traps are ‘perfectly legal’ and have an important role on a 20,000- acre estate such as Sandringham.

‘You’re not allowed to use them to target stoats,’ the spokesman tells me, going on to explain that, judging by the photograph of the dead owl in the trap, ‘appropriate precautions were taken’.

however, he adds, mishaps can happen.

A point with which HM would surely concur.