A CRACKDOWN on wildlife crime is being launched in Cumbria after a doubling of reported incidents.

Officers have revealed that they are dealing with 25 to 30 cases every month, half related to poaching.

Insp Dave Willetts said there were also problems with cruelty and poisoning cases and incidents such as egg theft and habitat destruction.

So far this year there have been more than 200 incidents reported, more than in the whole of last year. And he said three countywide operations to stop the persecution of ospreys, hen harriers and deer had been launched.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds joined local officers in calling for a fundamental ‘shake-up’ of the way wildlife crimes are dealt with.

The charity said such crimes were given a low priority and a detailed review of practices should take place.

In North Yorkshire, where the RSPB has reported 24 incidents against birds, the police have run the first national course on how to tackle widlife crime.

Officers were also planning to train more than 200 rangers and volunteers in the county’s two national parks to help protect birds of prey.

Tim Farron, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, said proposals to clamp down on wildlife crime with stronger penalties and stricter enforcement must be implemented.

He said: “The appalling figures are cause for alarm, not just for farmers but for all wildlife lovers.

"It is possible to blame the credit crunch for some rise in poaching but not such a dramatic increase in cruelty cases.

“We need proper enforcement and stronger penalties to clamp down on criminals that are getting away scot free.”

He said nationwide 3,064 wildlife crimes were reported from January to July this year, compared with 3,514 reported in the whole of 2008.

While 1,658 such crimes were reported from April-December 2007, just 88 people were prosecuted in the whole of 2007, 56 of whom were found guilty.

Insp Willetts said he recognised many of the points raised by the RSPB. He said: “Tackling wildlife crime is challenging in Cumbria due to the nature and location of the offences and we would always welcome any new legislation or guidance that could improve the policing of this area of work.

“We are dedicated to investigating reports of wildlife crime thoroughly and have already begun a review into the policing of wildlife crime.

“We have a number of officers around the county who are dedicated to the investigation of wildlife crime and we work closely with partner agencies such as the RSPCA and the RSPB to bring about successful prosecutions when offences occur.

“Sadly, we have noticed a steady increase in the number of reports we receive of poaching, theft and cruelty to innocent wildlife.

“Poaching is a particular problem in Cumbria which accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the reports we receive.

“To tackle the problem, we work alongside dedicated ‘poaching groups’ across the county to launch operations to target and deter poachers and lampers. We have three ongoing county-wide operations to address persecution of ospreys, hen harriers and deer, and have had notable successes in catching offenders.”

Ian West, RSPB head of investigations, said: “There are many competing demands on our police, but wildlife crime is all too often pushed to the back of the queue. Those responsible are able to break the law with little fear of detection. We need to take a good hard look at how to get it taken seriously by those charged with upholding the law.”

Paul Wilkinson, from the Wildlife Trust, said: “It is important that we achieve much greater clarity and rigour in our approach to wildlife crime.

“The uncertainty around what constitutes a wildlife crime is unacceptable.

"This grey area helps those who commit wildlife crimes and puts the enforcement agencies, and wildlife itself, at a disadvantage.”