A Merseyside man has been banned from every national park in the country.
John Kinsley was also ordered not to enter any RSPB nature reserve by Llandudno magistrates after he was found guilty of disturbing rare birds of prey.
The 36-year old, from Newton-le-Willows, near Warrington, caused a pair of goshawks to leave their nest and a clutch of three eggs failed to hatch. He was caught in May last year with a remote-controlled camera at Clocaenog in north Wales and charged under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which prohibits disturbing goshawks during their breeding season.
Kinsley was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £800 costs. The court was told Kinsley has a history of disturbing rare birds.
It is estimated that there are fewer than 500 pairs of breeding goshawks in the UK. Their favoured habitat is secluded woodland.
Magistrates also ordered the confiscation of equipment used during the crime.
- Police in Aberdeenshire say tests on the body of a buzzard reveal it was killed by a shotgun.
Grampian police are appealing for information after X-rays showed four pellets in the dead bird. It was found in woodland near St Cyrus on the east coast of Scotland.
Officers believe the bird may have been killed several months ago. It is an offence to kill buzzard and penalties include up to six months imprisonment and a fine of up to £5,000. Police are following various leads in an effort to track down the perpetrator.
