Richmond: Arrest as dead badger found near disturbed sett

A man has been arrested and his three dogs seized as part of an investigation into badger baiting.

North Yorkshire Police said officers responded to reports of poaching near Richmond on Wednesday.

A dead badger and a disturbed sett were found, the force said.

The man, who is in his 20s and from the Sunderland area, was arrested on suspicion of a wildlife offence, breaching a dog control order and theft of a mobile phone.

The force said the man's three dogs all had injuries, with one having suffered deep cuts around its neck.

All three dogs were treated by the RSPCA.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The prompt response from Richmondshire's Neighbourhood Policing Team and further investigations at the scene have led to a man being arrested on suspicion of a number of different offences.

"When we investigate reports of rural crime, it can often lead to other crimes being detected, such as animal cruelty, theft or motoring offences. We'd always encourage anyone who has information to come forward and share it with us. As this case and others shows, we do act on it and we do take it very seriously."

The arrested man was bailed pending further inquiries.

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