I am sure many readers will be shocked to learn under current Home Office procedures, an offence committed under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 is not considered to be a crime because it is not recordable.

The Act provides badgers with a unique level of legislative protection but, at present, is worth little more than the paper it is written on.

An estimated 10,000 badgers are killed illegally each year by badger baiting and digging. Badgers are also illegally shot, poisoned and gassed, and setts are damaged and destroyed.

Despite the widespread persecution of badgers in Britain, the Home Office does not consider the crimes important enough to be recorded. Badger crime is therefore not included in any Government statistics.

As a result of badger crime being outside the formal recording process, it is frequently considered a low priority by many police forces, which have limited financial budgets. Worryingly, all too often its found individuals responsible for persecuting badgers have been or are involved with other crimes such as drugs, violence, theft and firearms offences etc. Therefore, it is likely the low priority frequently given to addressing badger crimes can result in a reduced effectiveness in tackling other types of crime.

It is clearly time for the Government to take badger-related crime seriously. Its time to make the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 worth more than the paper it is written on.

Joan Gardner

Downsview Gardens

Upper Norwood