Heartless yobs chop down osprey nest with a chainsaw – just one day after protected bird laid its first egg of the season in 'horrendous wildlife crime'

  • The overnight attack took place at Llyn Brenig reservoir in Denbigh Moors, Wales
  • Furious Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams has launched a plea for information 
  • One member of the public has offered a £2,000 reward to help find the culprits 
  • Police pledge to 'pull out the stops' to find those who caused nest's destructionCruel vandals armed with a chainsaw chopped down an osprey nest a day after the protected bird laid its first egg of the season.  

    The platform was chopped down overnight, sending the nest plunging into the waters below at Llyn Brenig reservoir in Denbigh Moors, north Wales in a 'horrendous wildlife crime.' 

    Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams has pleaded for people to come forward with information while a member of the public has offered a £2,000 reward if anyone has details which leads to a prosecution. 

    Police have pledged to 'pull out all the stops' to find the culprits responsible for the crime and has called on people to come forward with information

    Police have pledged to 'pull out all the stops' to find the culprits responsible for the crime and has called on people to come forward with information The site of the attack lies within the Llyn Brenig Osprey project which began in 2013, with the first ospreys hatched in the area in more than 100 years born in 2018.It is managed by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, and is the fifth breeding site for the fish-eating birds in Wales. 

    Iolo Williams tweeted: 'If anyone knows ANYTHING about the morons behind this, please get in touch with North Wales Police. This cannot go unpunished.

    'Unbelievable!!' Police say they believe the culprit had a strong motive to rid the area of the rare birds and an investigation is now underway to find the person responsible. 

    Sgt Rob Taylor of North Wales Police Rural Crime Team said: 'We really are pulling out all the stops to try and catch the person or persons responsible for this and believe me they will receive the full force of the law if we do catch them. 

    'The whole team is absolutely devastated by it and sure the whole community is as well.

    Workers discovered the destroyed nesting platform the morning after the attack, which was captured on CCTV

     Workers discovered the destroyed nesting platform the morning after the attack, which was captured on CCTV

    The osprey nest, pictured below the callous attack, was chopped down by vandals wielding chainsaws in Denbeigh Moors, north Wales

    The osprey nest, pictured below the callous attack, was chopped down by vandals wielding chainsaws in Denbeigh Moors, north Wales

    'These birds give a lot of people a lot of pleasure and I just can't understand how anybody can actually go and do something like that.

    'We're checking cameras in the area and different systems to try to get closer to whoever his person is.'   

    Graeme Cotterill, of North Wales Wildlife Trust called the crime 'horrendous' and said efforts are now being made to ensure the rare birds have another nest. 

    'This is a horrendous wildlife crime,' he said. 'We appeal to all members of the public if you know anything at all about what happened here please do report it to the police using the crime number on our website.

    Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams described those responsible 'morons' as he called on people to come forward with information

    Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams described those responsible 'morons' as he called on people to come forward with information

    The birds are rare in the Wales, with five sites set up specifically for breeding and protection

    The birds are rare in the Wales, with five sites set up specifically for breeding and protection

    'These are the rarest birds in Wales and there are very few breeding nests.

    'Efforts are still being made here to persuade the pair that have been here already to stay around the area.

    'One of the other nest platforms has been cleared and we hope they will migrate to that platform and lay further eggs this season but it's yet to be seen what will happen.' 

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