A 37-year-old man has been arrested after more than 50 dead animals were dumped outside a shop in Hampshire.
A member of staff was opening the Broughton Community Shop when they encountered the “horrifying” scene on 15 March.
Police were called and found about 50 dead hares, a kestrel and a barn owl outside the store.
Officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Country Watch team have been investigating and discovered the barn owl and kestrel had been shot with a firearm.
Both birds are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, giving them legal protection.
The man who was arrested has been charged with criminal damage, night poaching, killing of a Schedule 1 bird and killing of brown hare in the closed season.
He has also been charged with an offence under the Public Order Act, an offence under the Animal Welfare Act and an offence under the Firearms Act.
Police said on Thursday night that he remains in custody.
Country Watch Sergeant Stuart Ross said: “Since this incident took place, we have been actively pursuing a number of lines of inquiry and working with partner agencies to establish the circumstances of what happened.
“We are grateful for the help we have received from the local community and we’d like to thank them for their patience while we investigate what happened.
“There may be some people with information who have not yet come forward, and if so, we would urge them to do so as soon as possible.”
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Owl found ‘impaled on the door handles’
Mike Hensman, the shop’s treasurer, said the barn owl and kestrel were found “stuffed” on the door handles and blood was smeared on the windows.
“It was bedlam, it was just covered in dead hares, all the way across this paving here, horrifying,” he told Sky News.
“And on the door there was a dead raptor, bird of prey, and an owl impaled on the door handles. And there was blood everywhere.”
He described how shocked staff and villagers had to remove the remains.
“We cleared it all up, got the police in, had to wash all the windows down and get rid of everything.
“We got a local farmer here to get rid of all the dead hares and we just got on with business because that’s what you do in a community. We’re servicing the community. We just had to keep going.”
Police investigating an incident in which dozens of dead animals were dumped outside a Hampshire shop have found a burnt-out Suzuki Grand Vitara believed to be linked to the case.
Warning: This story contains images and descriptions readers may find distressing
Hampshire Police has urged the public to send any CCTV or dash cam images of cars matching this description in the Test Valley area at the time of the incident.
“Officers are following all possible lines of enquiry and will be in the area today to provide reassurance to local residents,” the force said in a statement.
The bodies of around 50 dead hares as well as a barn owl and a kestrel, were discovered by a member of staff who had gone to open up Broughton Community Shop on Friday.
The barn owl and kestrel were “stuffed” on the door handles and blood was smeared on the windows, the shop’s treasurer said.
On the shop’s Facebook page, a post said: “Thank you all for popping in, messaging and phoning to make sure we are okay. We are okay, shocked but okay.”
Police had previously appealed for information about a silver Suzuki car that may have been in the area between Thursday night and Friday morning.
“It was bedlam, it was just covered in dead hares, all the way across this paving here, horrifying,” the shop’s treasurer Mike Hensman told Sky News.
“And on the door there was a dead raptor, bird of prey, and an owl impaled on the door handles. And there was blood everywhere.”
He described how shocked staff and villagers had to remove the remains.
“We cleared it all up, got the police in, had to wash all the windows down and get rid of everything.
“We got a local farmer here to get rid of all the dead hares and we just got on with business because that’s what you do in a community. We’re servicing the community. We just had to keep going.”
He believes the shop was targeted because the entrance is “tucked away”.
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“A shop on the high street you wouldn’t have been able to do it because there would have been cars going by. It’s tucked away so someone’s able to get a car round here and have a party with some dead hares. It’s ridiculous.
“It made entertainment for them and caused a problem for us… it could have been anywhere.”
It is the second time in recent weeks that the local area has been targeted.
Carcasses of pheasants, chickens and hares were dumped outside Awbridge Primary School, around six miles from Broughton, last month.
Police say they are keeping an “open mind” about whether the two incidents are linked.
Image: Dead pheasants found outside Awbridge Primary School in another incident in February. Pic: Solent Photo Agency
Tony Lowry, a local wildlife and conservation warden, believes rival criminal groups who travel from outside the area are to blame.
He claims it’s driven by gambling: “Money, betting between groups, that’s basically what it’s about… how many animals they’re going to kill in one night, how big an animal?
“We’ve had instances of deers’ ears being chopped off to prove they’ve actually got them, taken them away. We find piles of animals with no ears, we have done in the past. Terrible.
“I’m a country person, I’m a gamekeeper and so my work does involve killing, but that is just killing for no reason at all.”
A behavioural psychologist has warned children filming themselves using catapults to kill and torture animals will feel a “huge residual guilt” as they grow up.
It comes after Sky News exposed a UK-wide network in which children – some of primary school age – have been sharing footage and photos of their kills in groups on WhatsApp.
Warning: This story contains images and descriptions readers may find distressing
Speaking to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee, behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings said it could have a lasting impact on the children involved.
Image: A photo of a catapult and a knife was shared in one of the WhatsApp groups
“Unless they [the children] have got genuine psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies, they will stop.
“But what it will leave them with… [is] huge amounts of residual guilt.
“They’ll remember this. Kids remember that sort of cruelty to animals for the rest of their lives.”
She put the blame squarely on those leading or influencing the groups, who she said were likely to be older than many of those taking part.
“It’s appalling what they’re doing to these young children, who will not be able to forget when they realise what’s been going on and how they’ve been influenced,” she said.
“It’s organised cruelty. Someone is deliberately sorting this who will be older and who is bringing younger children in for their entertainment, and kids are being lured in.
“It’s like groupthink – you give up your moral ideas or ethics to be part of this group. You’re showing off, you’re comparing your kills with each other.
“These young kids are being brought into this disassociation.”
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Sky News has discovered nearly 500 members of catapult groups on WhatsApp, in which more than 350 photos and videos have been shared of animals that have been killed or wounded with the weapons.
In some videos, injured animals are shown dying slowly after being shot with hand-held catapults.
In others, young people kick and abuse the animals after shooting them – as well as posing while holding their dead bodies.
Image: Rabbit posed with a catapult for a photo
Image: An image of a squirrel apparently killed with a catapult was shared
The RSPCA described the material in the groups as “horrendous” and warned it was an “emerging trend”.
The “sick” attacks have prompted calls for a change in the law as catapults are not classed as illegal weapons and can be bought and carried legally.
The animals targeted include pigs, deer, pigeons, foxes, squirrels, pheasants, rabbits, geese and ducks – with one charity saying it had seen an “exponential” rise in birds with catapult injuries.
WhatsApp said the material being shared in the catapult groups was against its terms of use.
A spokesperson for the messaging app told Sky News: “We respond to law enforcement requests based on applicable law and policy.”
Breakdowns caused by animals somehow making their way inside vehicles have reached record levels – with rats accounting for most of the mischief.
According to the RAC, the firm was called out to 303 incidents of animal damage in the first 11 months of 2023, which is more than the same period during any other year on record.
It’s also a massive 55% increase from the 196 incidents reported between January and November in 2018.
The figures do not include incidents when a vehicle has struck an animal.
More than half of the animal damage this year was caused by rats, which are often found gnawing away at fuel hoses, infesting engine bays and breaking headlights.
Foxes were also guilty of chewing at speed sensor wiring, windscreen wiper blades and brake hoses.
RAC patrol Nick Isaac, who works in southwest England, said he discovered a squirrel using a car’s air filter to stockpile nuts.
“The car had lost power and had an odd smell. When I lifted the bonnet and revved the engine, the air filter moved like it was being sucked towards the engine,” he said.
“It turned out a squirrel had been taking nuts from a bird feeder and storing them in the air box, restricting air flow to the car.”
Drivers are warned rodents can be attracted to vehicles with food inside or nearby, or left unused for long periods.
One patrol found 10 mice had made a nest in a Porsche, under a panel at the bottom of the windscreen.
Another was called to retrieve a baby pet python that had been attracted by the warm brakes of its owner’s car and placed itself behind a wheel trim.
Risk of ‘expensive damage’
RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said finding a rat or mouse one in a car is “not only a nasty shock” but often the cause of “very unwelcome and expensive damage”.
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“Unfortunately, incidents like this are more common than drivers might expect, particularly over the winter months when animals look to take shelter from the cold conditions,” she said.
“To reduce the risk of animal damage, check your car if it hasn’t been driven for a week or more. The best advice is to make sure no food – for pets or humans – is left inside.
“Also check for unusual smells in the vehicle and be mindful of any dashboard warning lights that don’t disappear after a minute or two.”
Car insurance does cover animal damage, she added, but it is still a good idea to check before a claim to see if the damage justifies the expense.
Pet owners are gearing up for a stressful time for both themselves and their animals as fireworks season begins.
With Bonfire Night and Diwali in October and November, followed not long afterwards by New Year’s Eve, there is little respite from the bangs and vibrations that can have devastating effects on animals.
Julie Doorne from Firework Campaign UK told Sky News that people suffer as well as pets.
Pet owners will avoid leaving their animals at home alone for months on end, or use up annual leave to take them away.
“People’s lives change” due to fireworks, she said.
The campaign wants an end to private fireworks. Ms Doorne says they’re not trying to cancel Bonfire Night or any other celebrations – but they want displays licenced and kept a certain distance from animals.
Image: Jade, with Liberty and Emma after her fall
‘I will never see her again’
Liberty, an 18-year-old from Winterbourne, recently lost her horse Jade due to fireworks. Jade was Liberty’s therapy horse, who helped her with anxiety, and was a gift from her friend Emma.
“Jade taught me everything. My first canter, my first gallop, she gave me the confidence in everything,” Liberty said.
“She knew when I was upset. If she heard me cry she would stand over me. When I was feeling down she would nudge me. She knew when I was at my lowest.”
In October, Jade got spooked by a firework that was let off near the field she was in.
She ran and hurt her back legs in the process. Despite Liberty trying to get her up, it was clear she wasn’t going to.
“She tried but she didn’t have the strength and in the end, she gave up,” Liberty said.
Jade had to be put to sleep.
“My heart is ripped apart,” Liberty said. “She was my best friend and soulmate.
“I will always remember the lowest of my days when she wouldn’t leave my side… I have no words but heartache and tears.”
“I want the whole world to know that Jadey was my life.”
Liberty wants to see a ban on setting off fireworks around livestock.
Jade would have “been here today if it wasn’t for the firework,” she said. “I will never see her again.”
Image: Nala gets very distressed around fireworks
‘Driving to the middle of the New Forest for quiet’
Rosemary, from Hampshire, has a 10-year-old horse called Rolo – and Nala, an 11-year-old working cocker spaniel.
To prepare Rolo for the fireworks, Rosemary plans to put boots on him to stop him from kicking himself and keep him in his stable.
This is the first fireworks season she’s experienced with Rolo, so she plans to “take a leap of faith” and hope he copes well.
But Nala gets very distressed.
“She barks to the point that one New Year’s Eve I drove out to the middle of the New Forest to get her as far away from the noise as possible,” Rosemary said.
She added she is forced to change her routine when she knows there may be fireworks.
“I can’t leave her on the weekend of Bonfire Night. I will always be making a decision on, ‘If we go out, can I take her?’ – but we have to endure it when it’s unexpected.”
Image: Nelly the Boston, with her cat sisters Poppy and Pixie
‘We’re worried the stress will shorten her life’
Matt Wilke, 36, from northwest London, has a Boston terrier called Nelly, and two cats, Pixie and Poppy.
All three are rescues from South Africa, and he said the journey to bring them to the UK during the pandemic was nowhere near as stressful as fireworks are for them.
“Pixie becomes incredibly skittish and just about hyperventilates. It is absolutely horrible seeing a cat having what looks like an asthma attack and being very frightened,” he explained.
Poppy does her best to try to hide, which is worrying because “she tries squeezing herself into the smallest of spaces and we’re always so worried she will hurt herself”.
Mike also worries Poppy will “get stuck somewhere or – in a panic to find somewhere – get out and run without any idea of where she’s trying to go”.
Nelly becomes very needy, constantly vigilant and frightened of going outside. Matt said the effects on her can last for days after the fireworks have stopped.
“This undue stress simply isn’t good for her and we’re constantly worried that the stress, especially as she gets older, could shorten her life.”
Pip, an elderly dog with a fragile heart
Jane has an elderly dog called Pip.
Pip “has been petrified of fireworks all his life”, she said.
Jane added: “Every year we spend about two weeks around bonfire night unable to sleep until late as he needs comforting because he gets so worked up and frightened when he hears them going off.
“We are dreading this year as he now has a heart condition which means he collapses if he gets highly stressed or excited.
“So we feel we have no alternative but to drive us all out into the country for a few hours to get away from the relentless sound of bombs going off.
“If we don’t I fear he will have a heart attack.”
Image: Messi was so scared by fireworks he woudn’t go outside
Could Australian-style ban work in the UK?
Dog owner Jane Price recalled stressful bonfire nights with her Cairn terrier Messi.
“He would bark and get very upset,” she said. “He wouldn’t even go outside, he was worried there was going to be another bang.”
Ms Price is originally from Australia, where there’s a ban on members of the public buying fireworks.
There’s merit to that rule, she said.
In the UK, fireworks can be sold between 15 October and 10 November for Bonfire Night and from 26 to 31 December for New Year celebrations.
They can also be sold in the three days leading up to Chinese New Year and Diwali.
But many pet owners would welcome Australian-style restrictions in the UK.
Image: Cody gets very agitated and scared when she hears the loud bangs of fireworks
‘It’s really difficult to calm and console’
Another concerned animal lover, Di, told Sky News her border collie cross, Cody, is “absolutely terrified” of fireworks.
“This appears to be getting worse as she grows older,” she said. “Her reaction to them is to bark continuously, pant and pace and it is really difficult to calm and console her.
“This reaction can continue for a good while after the fireworks have subsided.”
Vet says fireworks ‘totally cruel’ to animals
The run-up to Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve sees a surge of people seeking sedatives for their pets, a north London vet told Sky News.
“One month before firework night, people are coming in one after the other to get calming remedies for their pets,” she says.
Fireworks displays are “totally cruel” to animals, who have “very sensitive hearing”, she added.
“They’re put under stress and anxiety that can sometimes cause illnesses like alopecia from over-grooming themselves due to stress.”
About 14 million people in the UK attend organised firework displays each year, according to the British Pyrotechnics Association – but that number does not include fireworks set off in private gardens and fields across the country.
These displays are the real problem, according to some pet owners.
Call for organised fireworks events only
Sophie Gannon’s dog Barclay is “petrified by the noise” and “shakes” on hearing fireworks.
“I don’t think they should sell fireworks at all. I think it should just be organised events only,” she said.
The RSPCA receives about 400 calls from concerned pet owners every Bonfire Night, and in 2019 launched its Bang Out Of Order campaign, calling for changes to firework laws.
It wants the sale of fireworks restricted to between 29 October and 5 November and a reduction of the maximum noise level of fireworks from 120 decibels to 90 decibels.
The animal charity has also called for the implementation of firework control zones, prohibiting fireworks near animal habitats, farms and zoos.
The charity’s research shows 73% of adults polled think firework control zones should be introduced and 75% think the firework sale period should be limited.
What are the rules as they stand?
The Animal Welfare Act does not extend to protecting animals from the effects of fireworks.
While it prohibits “any unnecessary suffering to a captive or domestic animal”, if fireworks are let off legally, their use would not be considered unreasonable.
Scotland’s fireworks laws changed in June, giving councils the power to designate Firework Control Zones where it would be illegal to set off fireworks. The impact on animals is one reason why a council could grant a control zone.
In Northern Ireland, anyone who wants to buy, possess, and use fireworks (except indoor fireworks and sparklers) must have a valid fireworks licence.
In 2019, the House of Commons petition committee published a report on fireworks after more than 750,000 people signed a petition demanding a change to the laws.
In response, the government agreed to coordinate a major public awareness campaign, but stopped short of accepting recommendations – including introducing decibel limits and empowering local councils to enforce firework permits.
Another petition calling for tougher regulations gained more than 15,000 signatures in advance of this year’s Bonfire Night.
The government responded by saying it has “no plans to ban the sale of fireworks to the public but continues to monitor the situation”.
A government spokesperson added: “We believe the majority of individuals use fireworks safely and appropriately.
“The government understands that people want to enjoy fireworks. We believe that the legislative framework controlling fireworks strikes the right balance and we have no plans to replace it at this time.”
Snakes, horses and frogs are among the millions of animals passing through Heathrow Airport every year.
Approximately 19,000 dogs and cats, 28 million fish, 400 horses, 2,000 birds, 50 zoo animals and 150,000 reptiles are imported through the UK’s largest airport.
Each animal is taken from its flight to the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre where they are inspected.
Image: An animal attendant holds a female boa constrictor
Image: An animal attendant holds an adult white tree frog
The animals are provided with temporary accommodation while paperwork and shipments are checked. They can then be reunited with their owners.
The facility, owned and operated by the City of London Corporation, can hold any animal species.
It works with airlines to ensure animals are well cared for and meet the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme, which allows them to travel easily without undergoing quarantine.
Image: Michael Gallo, a lead senior veterinary inspector, holds a starfish
Image: A clownfish at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre
On Thursday, there was also an adult white tree frog, a boa constrictor, a royal python, a clownfish, a starfish and a neon marine fish at the centre.
Image: An owner is reunited with his springer spaniels
Springer spaniels, a German shepherd, a pug and a corgi were among the species of dog also being inspected.
From a young age, the Queen had an affection for animals.
She was an avid horse rider and dog lover, who was regularly seen with her pack of corgis.
Her Majesty was also a guardian of two giant tortoises, an elephant, a sloth and two jaguars, some of which had lived at London Zoo.
But it was her loyal corgis that the Queen had maybe the strongest affection towards, with the monarch once declaring: “My corgis are family”.
Image: Relaxing with the corgis at Virginia Water in 1973
Richard Griffin, a royal protection officer who worked with the Queen for 14 years, recalled her having as many as 11 dogs at one time.
“When we went to Balmoral there were gun dogs as well,” he told Sky News. “And the ponies would be up there so she could go riding every morning.
“It was just a complete country life, which she loved.”
The Queen’s love for dogs began in 1933 when her parents acquired the family’s first corgi, named Dookie, according to Vanity Fair.
Image: The Queen taking one of her corgis for a walk with Prince Charles and Princess Anne
Her Majesty, then a princess, eventually got one as a present from her parents when she turned 18, her first of more than 30.
All her corgis are descendants of her first, Susan, who died aged 14 in 1959 and is buried at Sandringham.
The Queen also owned labradors, cocker spaniels and a dorgi – a cross between a corgi and dachshund.
In 2012, corgis Monty, Willow, and Holly appeared in the Olympic opening ceremony when, in a sketch, Daniel Craig (in character as James Bond) arrived at Buckingham Palace to escort the Queen to the event.
And in a Vanity Fair cover story in 2016, the Queen requested that her canine companions be part of the series of portraits.
Her Majesty’s love of horses and horse riding was a passion she shared with her mother and is believed to have started with her first riding lesson.
Image: The first photograph of Princess Elizabeth riding a horse, in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 1930
From early childhood the Queen was surrounded by relatives who owned, rode and talked about horses.
In footage shared by the Royal Collection Trust in 2020, a young Elizabeth was seen pulling a horse toy behind her and riding as a teenager.
The Queen went on to breed and race horses for more than 60 years.
Image: The Queen riding on the racecourse before the opening of Royal Ascot in 1960
Thoroughbreds owned by the Queen have won four out of the five flat racing classics – the 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas, the Oaks and the St Leger – with only the Derby eluding her.
Her horse Dunfermline, ridden by jockey Willie Carson, gave the Queen her most famous victory, triumphing in the Oaks and St Leger in her Silver Jubilee year in 1977.
In recent years, the Queen made sporting history when she became the first reigning monarch to win Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup with her thoroughbred Estimate in 2013.
She had more than 20 winners at Royal Ascot – one of the premier events of the racing season.
During her life, she pursued her keen interest in horse breeding, sending her mares to stud farms around the world.
