Mark Goulding has now taken up the role of the Wildlife Crime Project Officer for the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), replacing the recently retired Pete Charleston. Mark served 32 years in the military and South Wales Police. For the last twenty-two years he held frontline police operational posts alongside his wildlife crime role. Mark was […]

A housing developer has avoided jail after demolishing a Derbyshire bungalow despite knowing it was home to bats. In 2018, an application was made to North East Derbyshire District Council by a local developer to demolish an existing bungalow in Amber Lane, Ashover and, in its place, build a new dwelling. An ecologist’s survey identified […]

A man who admitted destroying a roost for a protected species of bat has been ordered by a court to pay more than £7,000. Iain Russell Turner, aged 50 and of The Street in Motcombe, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 11 October 2019 for an offence of damaging or destroying the […]

On Tuesday 30th April a person who undertook the development of Pembroke Farm, Brougham, Cumbria appeared before Carlisle Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to one charge of damaging or destroying a bat roost.  He was fined £750, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £75 victim surcharge. Planning permission was granted to allow for the […]

A development company has been fined more than £18,000 for illegally destroying a building where protected Pipistrelle bats were known to roost. Landrose Developments was fined £18,820 at Brent Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 5 April after pleading guilty to destroying the breeding site / resting place of a European Protected Species (EPS), namely Pipistrelle Bat […]

  On Wednesday 6th February 2019 Mr Piara Singh SEHAJPAL pleaded guilty at Haywards Heath Magistrates Court to two charges of destroying bat roosts. The first charge related to the destruction of a brown long eared roost and the second a common pipistrelle roost. Although initial surveys confirmed the presence of the roosts no emergence surveys […]

An investigation led by the North Yorkshire Police, with support from Bat Conservation Trust and City of York Council, has helped to prosecute a developer for unlawfully demolishing a bat roost in York. In 2016 Mr Mike Green on behalf of GEM Holdings (York) Ltd submitted a planning application to City of York Council asking […]

On Tuesday 24th April 2018 at Kidderminster magistrates court Mr Stephen David Yoxhall, B15/10/1966 of Atherstone pleaded guilty to the destruction of a bat roost. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £135. The offence occurred when work was being undertaken to develop a business unit  in Holberrow Green, Worcestershire. A bat survey […]

A complex investigation undertaken by Kent Police recently saw London based Knightspur Homes convicted at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on three counts of roost destruction. Sentencing was adjourned for consideration of a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) confiscation order by the Crown Court.  On Tuesday 20th April Maidstone Crown Court ordered Knightspur Homes to pay a total […]

A property developer and demolition company manager who admitted destroying roosts for protected species of bats have been sentenced at court. Developer Christopher Wilson, of Avante Ltd, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 16 February 2018 after admitting two offences of damaging or destroying a breeding site or resting place of a […]