CRIMES against birds of prey have hit an all-time high, according to bird protection charity the RSPB.

The charity has revealed figures which show that last year, crimes against the rare birds had soared, with 1,208 incidents reported to the RSPB.

In 2006, there were 1,109 incidents. Cases of bird trappings, shootings, poisonings and nest destruction rose 40% from 185 in 2006 to 262 last year.

North Yorkshire came out as the worst county in England for bird crime, with 78 reports – 17% of the total number in the UK.

The RSPB is now asking the Government to make tackling illegal acts against birds of prey at higher priority for police.

The charity thinks that the rise in incidents over the past 12 months could be due to better reporting and more co-operation between the RSPB, police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Ian West, head of investigations at the RSPB, said: “The number of reports are the highest we have ever had but we are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

“It is hard to say whether the problem is increasing or whether we are just getting to hear about more offences.

“What is clear is that very large numbers of birds are being illegally killed every year and that is totally unacceptable. There has to be a greater effort to enforce the law.

“Unless measures to tackle it are written into individual police forces’ plans, then future bird crime reports will continue to paint a depressing picture of crime against the UK’s wild birds.”

He said getting evidence from the public is vital to stopping such crimes.

“We will continue to do all we can to put a stop to these offences. The public’s help will continue to be vital if we are to identify where the problems are and try to do something about it.”

To find out more about the RSPB’s concerns, visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdsofprey