ONE of the most controversial birds of prey has been wiped out as a breeding species in the North-East.

This year is the first time that the North-East has not had breeding hen harriers since the bird recolonised the region's uplands by nesting in Northumbria in 1954.

Ornithologists have reported that birds have failed in Northumberland and North Yorkshire, which witnessed nesting attempts over recent years, and County Durham, where there have been no successes for several years. Cumbria also failed.

Britain has 483 pairs of hen harriers, most of them in Scotland, but last year was a disaster in England with just five successful breeding pairs, the lowest since the birds made their comeback.

Four were in the bird's English stronghold of the Forest of Bowland, near Preston, where they are protected by landowner North West Water, and the other was at Geltsdale, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' reserve on the Northumberland-Cumbria border.

Hen harriers were wiped out in England by gamekeepers at the end of the 19th Century because they preyed on red grouse, bred for commercial shooting.

Despite making a comeback, they have suffered persecution including shooting, poisoning, the crushing of nests and loss of habitat due to moorland burning.

The shooting fraternity blames illegal egg collectors for raiding nests. Landowners and gamekeepers have called for a solution which takes their interests into account rather than just shielding the bird, which is protected under law.

In April, the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) told The Northern Echo that this year was critical for the hen harrier in the North-East but although there were some birds around in the springtime, none bred.

Malcolm Stott, RSPB warden at Geltsdale, who compiles hen harrier records from the region's raptor groups, said: "There have been no breeding pairs in the North of England outside Bowland this year, the first time that has happened since they recolonised in 1954.

"As far as I know, we didn't even have any breeding attempts at Geltsdale and my contacts from other areas have all reported zero as well.

"It staggers and amazes me that in the early part of the 21st Century we are still polarised when it comes to hen harriers," he said.

Tony Armstrong, Durham County Bird Recorder, said: "It is several years since we had a breeding success."

He said that although heather burning was a recognised form of upland land management, ornithologists were concerned that the scale may have damaged harrier and merlin nest sites in the Durham hills.

Mr Armstrong said: "The heather burning has taken place in great swathes and discouraged the birds. We are left with a few stands, sometimes no larger than the size of a tennis court."