‘Moorland vandalism’: Chris Packham calls for Ilkley Moor grouse shoot ban

Wednesday, 2 August 2017 16:00

Wildlife presenter and naturalist Chris Packham has branded Bradford Council’s allowance of grouse shooting on Yorkshire’s iconic beauty spot Ilkley Moor as “moorland vandalism”.

The comments were made in a statement urging Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe to not renew permission for the blood sport to take place on public land, only days ahead of the last grouse shooting season permitted under the present licence.

The Stop the Shoot campaign says over half of protected breeding bird species have declined or become locally extinct on Ilkley Moor on Bradford Council’s watch, according to government figures collated by the RSPB Northern England office.

The campaign said in a statement that Bradford Council is the last local authority in the UK to allow grouse shooting to take place on public moorland. Others, including the Peak District National Park Authority and Sheffield Council, already prohibit the practice on their upland estates and now maintain the land using other methods.

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