A WILD bird eggs collector whose “obsession” saw him become an international smuggler was spared jail yesterday.

Suspicion was raised over Andrew Seed’s activities when 5,800 emails relating to the location of birds’ nests and the trading of eggs were found on his computer at work.

Police raided his home on February 10, last year, discovering a total of 2,500 wild bird eggs from the UK, Europe, the US, Australia, South Africa and other countries.

They included osprey, golden eagle and black-necked grebe eggs.

Steven Orange, prosecuting at Durham Crown Court, said email correspondence showed Seed was exporting and importing eggs to and from the US using regular postal services, but without the permits required to do so.

Mr Orange said Seed offered cash for whooping crane eggs – only 400 pairs of the birds exist in the world – and traded in a variety of other birds, including parrots, falcons, sparrowhawks and vultures.

The 45-year-old, of Low Willington, Crook, County Durham, never actually sold an egg for money, although he quoted figures of up to £10,000 for some of the eggs in his collection to potential buyers.

He said he had inherited an egg collection, which dated back to the late 1800s, from his father and grandfather, and bartered and swapped eggs.

Seed, a council housing officer, pleaded guilty to four smuggling charges relating to the unlawful importation of birds’ eggs from the US and Australia.

He also pleaded guilty to 11 offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations and two charges contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The offences dated from 1997 to 2009, with the bulk from 2004.

Nick Cartmell, for Seed, said there was no profiteering in his dealings.

He said: “He is simply a collector knowledgeable about the subject who has exchanged and purchased [eggs] from other collectors.”

The barrister said Seed’s “exceptional” collection had been his and his father’s life’s work and to have it taken was “like a bereavement”.

Sentencing Seed, Judge Peter Armstrong said: “Your hobby became an obsession and you effectively turned a blind eye to what you needed to do, which was to ensure you did not break the law when dealing with these eggs.”

Judge Armstrong said he would suspend a nine-month jail sentence on the defendant for two years and made him subject to a five year order preventing him collecting eggs.

He also ordered him to pay £2,107, as part of a confiscation order, and £1,500 court costs. The eggs and equipment were ordered to be forfeited.