Swan Support operations director calls for police to take wildlife crime 'more seriously'

The operations director of a Datchet-based swan rescue charity is calling for Thames Valley Police (TVP) to take wildlife crime ‘more seriously’.

Wendy Hermon from Swan Support said that the force as a whole doesn’t take wildlife crime ‘seriously enough’, adding that she is ‘fed up’ with the situation.

She said: “My main concern, which is my main frustration, is dog attacks and shootings [and] vandalism.”

Wendy said crimes against wildlife, including swans and cygnets, have been occurring every month or couple of months for a number of years and added it ‘it needs to stop’.

The situation is ‘really bad’, and both catapults and airguns are being used in attacks.

Wendy recalled various incidents in which she felt the police didn’t take wildlife crime ‘seriously enough’, including one in March 2022 where two swans had been shot and killed on the Grand Union Canal in Mansion Lane, Iver. She reported the incident and did not hear back.

Another incident happened in the same location in July this year, in which a female swan was shot and injured and the male and their cygnet were both killed after being targeted by catapults and an airgun.

Wendy said she was contacted by TVP for a follow up and was told that the case was being filed due to lack of information, and the force would speak to the neighbourhood team, but she has not heard anything back.

She said: “It’s the system for our area – wildlife crime isn't taken seriously enough. I think it's because it happens too much.

“I'm not criticising the individual officers. I think Thames Valley Police as a whole don’t take wildlife crime seriously enough.”

In March, Wendy started a petition on Change.org calling pushing for ‘stronger penalties to deter wildlife crime’, which has gained more than 103,000 signatures.

She added: “‘I’m fed up with it now, I’ve been doing it over 30 years and it's about time things changed.

“We need the law to do something, otherwise It’ll never change.”

Wendy is urging anyone who witnesses a wildlife crime to contact the police immediately.

She added dog attacks on swans and other waterfowl have also increased ‘massively’.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson, said: “We take wildlife crime extremely seriously, including swans being killed or attacked.

“Our Rural Crime Taskforce is responsible for tackling wildlife crime and use intelligence to support their activity.

“The taskforce shares their expertise with neighbourhood officers to improve local knowledge of these offences so we can collectively make the Thames Valley a hostile area for offenders.

“Our Assessment and Investigation Unit aim to improve the standards of service provided to victims and create capacity for our front line officers to focus on incidents and crimes with the most threat, harm and risk.

“While not all offences can lead to prosecutions, all reports of wildlife crime are taken into consideration by the local teams to inform patrols and activity.

“While we understand the frustrations shared, the outcomes for offenders is a matter for the courts.

“To support any investigation into wildlife crime we encourage the reporting of offences by calling 101, making a report via our website, or reporting to Crimestoppers anonymously.

“We also have advice on our website for anyone affected by wildlife crime: https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wc/wildlife-crime.”

TVP confirmed that both incidents from March 2022 and July this year were ‘filed pending further information coming to light’.