A WILDLIFE rescuer has spoken of her anger after two buzzards where found shot dead at the weekend.

Jean Thorpe, a local conservationist who rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife, said it made her “angry and sad” that native birds of prey continued to be targeted.

“One buzzard was found by a dog walker dead in a field near East Luttons,” she said.

“There were chips through the flight feathers where shot gun pellets had whizzed through them. Apparently pigeon shooters were known to be in this same area about the time this bird had been shot.”

Jean said the second buzzard had been found at the top of Sutton Bank, with a shot gun pellet in the liver and one to the skull.

Jean said: “North Yorkshire has one of the worst record for bird of prey persecution in Great Britain, just look at RSPB Investigation Unit figures.

“It makes me angry and sad that these beautiful native birds of prey are killed to protect the non-native game birds. This has gone on far too long.”

Last year a juvenile buzzard was found at Westerdale on the North York Moors alive, but without a foot.

“The bird has had to be put to sleep and an X-ray revealed a shotgun pellet to the leg. It had been fenn trapped by one leg and in its efforts to free itself the leg was severed at the joint and the feathers badly damaged,” she said.

A red kite, which was found with gunshot wounds on farmland at Low Marishes, last March, was later released back to the wild following 25 days in rehab.

Jean said:“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.”

Anyone with information can phone PC Jeremy Walmsley at Malton Police Station on 101.