Three tawny owls were seized by police after a raid uncovered the poor conditions they were living in.
The joint operation was carried out by the Cheshire Police Rural Crime team, RSPCA and Natural England, along with officers from Merseyside Police on Monday, June 20. Officers raided an address in Newton-le-Willows as part of a warrant under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Cheshire Police said the raid related to the disturbance of birds at a site of specific scientific interest in Cheshire. Photos shared by the St Helens branch of Merseyside Police showed the owls that were rescued due to poor conditions and no records kept.
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A stash of class B drugs and other items were also found at the address, police said. No arrests were made during the raid and the investigation remains ongoing.
In a post on Facebook, St Helens Police said: "Wildlife Crime is a growing issue and it is important to tackle it with our partner agencies."
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