The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has revealed an increase in the illegal poisoning of endangered birds of prey by gamekeepers, working on behalf of their landowner employers.

This is done to preserve the game birds to be shot for a profit to the landowner, and pleasure for the shooters, rather than taken by eagles, buzzards, hen harriers and kites, for food. Worst areas for the illegal killings are those with high numbers of shooting estates, such as North Yorks, West Mercia, Northumberland, Devon and Cornwall and Cumbria.

The RSPB wants to make the landowners legally responsible for the illegal actions of their gamekeepers, from which they profit.