A WILDLIFE rescuer is calling on people to report anything suspicious after another buzzard was found in a fenn trap with gunshot wounds.

Jean Thorpe, a local conservationist who rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife, said it was time to "to shout long and hard and shame those responsible".

Ms Thorpe said the juvenile buzzard was barely out of the nest when it was found at the weekend at Westerdale North York Moors alive with a missing foot.

"Sadly the bird has had to be put to sleep and an X-ray revealed a shotgun pellet to the leg," she said.

"The tips of the flight and tail feathers were missing and abraded. This young bird had been fenn trapped by one leg and in its efforts to free its self the leg was severed at the joint and the feathers badly damaged.

"This is the reality of shooting interests and their interaction with native birds of prey here in North Yorkshire.

"We need to shout long and hard and shame those responsible."

Earlier this year a male buzzard was found on farmland near North Frodingham. The one-year-old buzzard had nicks throughout the flight feathers indicating the bird has been illegally shot by a gun shot, breaking one wing in two places.

A a mute swan was also found on the banks of the River Hull at Weel, near Beverley, with a swollen neck and in a distressed state, which had to be put to sleep.

The incidents follow the shooting of a red kite, which was found on March 25 on farmland at Low Marishes, north of Malton.

The female bird was later released back into the wild by Ms Thorpe.

A police spokesman said: "A badly injured buzzard was found in the Westerdale area by a member of the public on Sunday. It was taken to a vet, but sadly its injuries were too severe and it had to be euthanised. Its injuries were consistent with being caught in an open fenn trap.

"North Yorkshire Police take such offending extremely seriously, and an investigation is underway."

Anyone with information is asked to phone PC Jeremy Walmsley at Malton Police Station on 101 and selecting option two.