AS THE Glorious Twelfth arrived on Tuesday, shooters were warned that they could struggle to find grouse.

Though the warm weather has ensured a large number of birds for the shooting season on the hills across the North of England and Scotland, high temperatures have sent the birds searching for water.

Adam Smith, of the Game Conservancy, said that the continued dry spell might possibly scupper some hunters' chances of finding their prey.

"I would have been more bullish a few weeks ago. Some areas, such as the north-east of Scotland, are talking about having record shooting.

"But there are other areas where the lovely weather might have been too good, the hills are becoming very dry and they are beginning to run out of water. Even if it doesn't reduce the number of grouse, it will make them harder to find," he said.

Despite Mr Smith's predictions, shooting parties in the North Pennines bagged between 100 and 400 birds on Tuesday.

The Moorland Association also said numbers in most of Yorkshire would be well up on last year, with good broods reported from Nidderdale, Wharfedale, Airedale, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.