A GARDENER who tried to sell surplus frogspawn on Internet auction site ebay prompted a police inquiry.

The woman, from Gates-head, was tracked down and was this week cautioned by police after she admitted an offence of trading in wildlife.

Ebay has removed other items from sale after staff were alerted that selling frogspawn was an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The search for the trader was sparked when the National Criminal Intelligence Service, which is normally involved in tracking down drug dealers and terrorists, alerted Northumbria Police, who paid the unsuspecting gardener a visit.

Wildlife Crime Officer PC Paul Henery said: "People seem to think that you can sell anything simply because ebay exists.

"You cannot trade in any kind of wildlife, and that includes frogspawn. You could give it away or put it in another pond, but you must not sell or trade it, even if you hold it lawfully.

"Frogspawn might seem unimportant when you consider how much is around during the spring, but you cannot separate out one type of wildlife from another if you want to preserve the country's natural heritage.

"Other items which are covered by the legislation include birds' egg or butterfly collections, even if they are many years old."