THE Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been accused of failing to take bird of prey persecution seriously in a county with an “appalling” record over the crime, a meeting has heard.

A leading councillor has been backed by North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan in calling for the CPS to revisit how it tackles offenders, ahead of a National Rural Crime Summit in Harrogate on Wednesday.

A meeting of the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel heard there had been 70 convictions in the county for poaching over the last year, 54 of which went to court, and there had been others for badger-baiting, but none for raptor persecutions.

Last November, the RSPB said the county’s history of bird of prey persecution was “appalling” and has repeatedly claimed the crimes are linked to land managed for intensive driven grouse shooting.

Panel members were told techniques being used to develop the persecution cases were the most advanced used by the police and there had been no bird of prey persecutions reported since the force and wildlife experts launched Operation Owl, in which officers are sent to raptor persecution hotspots, in February.

The panel’s deputy chairman, Councillor Peter Wilkinson, praised the professionalism and enthusiasm of wildlife officers.

He added: “I do believe the police are handicapped by the lack of proactivity from the Crown Prosecution Service. I’m not convinced they take it seriously. I’m not convinced they have the resources or capability to tackle this.

“I was given an example of the CPS turning up with a solicitor that had had the paperwork for half a day and they were faced with a QC that had already spent £200,000 on preparing a defence for that case.”

He added legislative change was needed to mirror Scottish law, in which landowners can be held legally responsible for wildlife crimes on their land, even if they were committed by other people.

Mrs Mulligan responded: “With regard to the Crown Prosecution Service I agree with you. I chair the Local Criminal Justice Board in North Yorkshire and I have brought this up previously with the LCJB and will bring it up again with the Crown Prosecution Service.”

A CPS Yorkshire spokeswoman said it was unable to issue an immediate response.