A MONTH-LONG initiative aimed at tackling wildlife crime in Cheshire saw a number of people come forward, a Winsford police officer has revealed.

Last month, the Western Rural Neighbourhood Policing Unit launched Operation Debug.

This has seen officers investigating incidents including suspicion of egg theft, badger baiting, illegal fishing and criminal damage caused by poachers.

Sergeant Adam Norton, of the Winsford Neighbourhood Policing Unit, said: “We would like to express our thanks to everyone who has contacted us to provide information and report suspicious incidents.

“We will continue to focus on wildlife and rural crime as a priority and we would urge members of the public to continue to contact us with their concerns”.

Sgt Norton said the operation was intended to raise awareness of wildlife crime among the many Cheshire communities.

He added: “The cost of wildlife crime, when the associated costs of damage and disruption are considered, can be staggering.

“The operation has been supported by regular updates on the Western Rural NPU Twitter account and feedback from the community has been very positive.

“The operation has also given us the opportunity to provide additional training to our rural officers and has also involved work with local wildlife charities to help boost reporting of incidents.”