POLICE are hunting the killers of a rare bird of prey found poisoned by an illegal pest control drug in the Yorkshire Dales.

A Red Kite was found dead in the Greenhow area after it ate bait laced with alphachloralose, a pesticide regularly used as an illegal pest control.

Not only are Red Kites at risk from alphachloralose poisoning but so are visitors to the Yorkshire Dales.

PC Vanessa Bateson said: "This practice is illegal and anyone found to be committing, aiding, or permitting such an offence will be arrested and put before the courts.

"Police are aware of domestic pets suffering from the effects of suspected poisoning. I am urging the public to come forward with any information.

"More people are coming forward to police and I want to encourage that to continue."

Red Kites were in danger of dying out until a programme to aid the bird was introduced in 1989 and numbers have since risen.

Over the past five years Red Kites have settled in the Craven area of North Yorkshire, but the use of pesticides may once again threaten their existence.

North Yorkshire Police, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and Natural England are working to protect them.

The group fears farmers and gamekeepers see the birds as a pest when they are scavengers which feed on dead animals.

Ian Court, the national park authority’s wildlife conservation officer said: "We are very concerned about the illegal poisoning.

"The species is only just starting to breed in the park again.

"Given there are so few here, the loss of one bird will have a very significant impact on the local population."

Anyone who can help police enquiries should contact PC Vanessa Bateson on 0845-6060-247 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.