Man denies trying to kill hen harrier on moors

A man has denied trying to kill a legally protected bird in what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in English law.

Racster Dingwall, of Sleet Moor Farm in Grassington, North Yorkshire, allegedly committed the offence at Grassington Moor on 2 October last year.

The 34-year-old denied possessing a shotgun for the purpose of killing a Schedule 1 bird, and encouraging and assisting the killing of a Schedule 1 bird, when he appeared at Skipton Magistrates' Court earlier.

According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the charge related to a hen harrier, which the charity describes as "the most intensely persecuted of all the UK's birds of prey".

Schedule 1 species have additional protection under law, such as persons requiring a licence or permit to approach a nest or adult bird with dependent young.

The RSPB said the prosecution is the first involving any bird with Schedule 1 status in England.

The charity said hen harriers are often persecuted on and around game shoots because they prey on birds such as grouse, which are reared for sport.

Mr Dingwall was granted unconditional bail ahead of his next appearance at Harrogate Magistrates' Court on 9 September.

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