Armed police sent to holiday park over geese cull

Armed police were called to a holiday park in West Sussex after reports of geese being shot.

Sussex Police said it sent officers to Lakeside Holiday Park in Chichester on Tuesday because of the nature of the report, but found no offences had been committed.

Park Holidays UK, which runs the site, said a limited culling of geese was carried out to protect the breeding habitats and feeding resources of other indigenous wildlife, and to prevent too many of the birds "causing a nuisance to park guests".

Simon Wild, West Sussex Wildlife Protection's head of rescue, said he was "horrified" over the culling.

In a letter to the park, he said: "The geese mean a great deal for many residents who care passionately about the wildfowl and are drawn to the site to be close to nature."

Park Holidays UK said the culling was carried out humanely within legal guidelines by a professional contractor who had the necessary licences.

Geese numbers are monitored at the park and action is only taken when necessary, the company says.

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