Government`s £1m funding injection saves wildlife crime unit for next four years

An eleventh-hour Government lifeline has saved Britain’s world-leading police unit dedicated to wildlife crime from becoming an endangered species.

Home Office Ministers and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have stepped up with a cash injection totalling £1.2 million, securing funding for the next four years.

The last-minute intervention will spare their joint blushes as the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) was within days of contemplating closure.

Animal welfare charities have welcomed the news after condemning the Government for a lack of commitment stretching back to 2012 which they claim — without guaranteed funding — would give criminals “free rein to poach, bait, shoot, trap, smuggle, torment and exploit British wildlife however they like”.

Only last month ministers had refused to rule out scrapping the unit altogether, leading to widespread protest from conservationists and MPs across the political spectrum.

The World Animal Protection UK charity, which hosted an event in Parliament in early January attended by 50 MPs highlighting fears over the NWCU’s future, said the funding announcement is “fantastic news for British wildlife”.

Josh Kaile, the charity`s head of public affairs, said: “It is clear the Government has now listened to the voice of the UK public.

“This is a victory for animal protection that resources have been secured long-term to fight wildlife crime both home and abroad.”

Mr Kaile said that without the 12-strong team in place, the Government would be giving criminals “free rein to poach, bait, shoot, trap, smuggle, torment and exploit British wildlife however they like”.

Britain is a hub for the international illegal wildlife trade, investigators say, and in 2015 alone the NWCU orchestrated the seizure of more than 400 items banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species .

The unit also acts as the UK policing focal point for Europol and Interpol activity on all wildlife crime related matters, and works in partnership with non-governmental agencies across Britain committed to tackling wildlife crime.

It also helps coordinate the work of police forces around the country combating domestic wildlife crimes such as hare coursing and the persecution of birds of prey.

The NWCU, which costs £427,000 a year to run, has had to fight hard for funding in the past and narrowly avoided closure two years ago when it secured a new round of support.

Now the Home Office and Defra have confirmed they will each provide £136,000 a year for the next four years as part of a funding programme to cover the NWCU until 2020.

In addition, Defra — which has supported the unit to the tune of £1.5 million since 2006 — will provide the NWCU with up to £29,000 a year over the next four years for specific work to tackle wildlife crime conducted online, as a developing area of global criminal activity.

A spokesperson for Defra confirmed that the total funding package of £1.204 million had been found “in recognition of the important contribution the unit makes to tackling wildlife crime, both at home and abroad”.

Chief Inspector Martin Sims, who has led the NWCU since August 2014, believes the unit is by far the cheapest option for policing across the UK in terms of support to wildlife crime.

He had warned that without the funding there would not be a unit and its closure would mean there would not be sufficient UK infrastructure to gather intelligence on wildlife crimes.

Ornithologist and broadcaster Bill Oddie said the small NWCU team did a “fantastic job”.

BBC TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham said the NWCU is a “specifically trained, unique and dedicated branch of the police force which is able to respond to an increasing range of crimes”.

He added: “They are thus invaluable if we have any desire to protect our wildlife and countryside.”

Around 7,000 people had signed a petition calling for the Government to continue funding the