WILDLIFE officers are on the hunt for illegal badger baiters in East Lancashire woodland.

Covert footage of three men sending their dogs down badger setts has been released in a bid to trace those responsible.

Eighty per cent of the county is rural and Lancashire Police wildlife officer PC Duncan Thomas said badger baiting and deer poaching are ‘unfortunately still prevalent’.

One of the most recent cases reported to police was in Rossendale but officers declined to give the exact location of their covert camera because the location was still being monitored.

He said: “Working with our conservation partners, Lancashire Police are committed to stamping out these barbaric activities.

"We have obtained camera footage which shows a number of men targeting a badger sett and we would appeal to the public for any information as to the men’s identities.

"Someone either lives or works with these men.

“Since medieval times these so-called sports have been practised by mainly men who seem to get a kick out of allowing dogs to cruelly attack these amazing wild animals.

“Only recently we had a number of dependant juvenile deer left orphaned by such poachers.

"We wish to make it clear the old fashioned romantic image of the common poacher is no longer applicable, they are rural criminals and they can expect a knock at the door.”

And he urged anyone with information to phone them, in confidence if need be.

The appeal was also run on the BBC’s Crimewatch Roadshow this week, with PC Thomas showing viewers the ‘reality’ of badger bait-ing and deer poaching.

He also urged the public to be wary of anyone trying to sell ‘dodgy’ venison on the black market and for businesses to only go through licensed game dealers.

“It’s a significant problem. We’ve got organised criminal gangs poaching deer and treating our deer herds disgracefully, very inhumanely.

“It’s our job to prevent that dodgy venison from getting in to the food chain.

“The public are our eyes and ears, without them we couldn’t do the job.”