Shell-shocked: ‘Addicted’ Norfolk man illegally collected 3,000 native hen eggs

20 February 2024, 21:01 | Updated: 20 February 2024, 23:59

Police have ‘cracked’ down on a person, described as having an “obsession with accumulating wild birds’ eggs”, after the pressure discovered practically 3,000 of them in his home.

Daniel Lingham, from Newton St Faith, was captured on a wildlife lure digicam stealing two eggs from a nightjar nest in Holt Lowes, Norfolk Police stated.

The pressure stated the 71-year-old was recognized by his distinctive walking stick which is seen within the footage, shot on June 9 final 12 months, and a subsequent search of his home revealed the extent of the hoard.

A complete of two,995 eggs have been discovered inside the home, together with 2,429 eggs from native birds – protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act – in his bed room.

Of these, 548 have been from native birds on the amber listing of birds of conservation concern, and an extra 546 have been of essentially the most critical concern on the crimson listing together with linnet, inexperienced finch, yellowhammer and home sparrow.

Another assortment of eggs, which appeared newer, was discovered behind a shower panel together with a field containing a pair of nightjar eggs with a label “Nightjar 2, Holt Lowes June 9”.

Officers additionally discovered figuring out books, binoculars and an egg-blowing package.

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The egg bandit admitted on Tuesday at Norwich Magistrates’ Court to 5 offences referring to the unlawful assortment of eggs, Norfolk Police stated.

These included taking eggs from a nightjar on June 9 2023 at Holt, and possessing 2,429 eggs of a non-schedule 1 wild hen on July 25 2023, the day police searched his home.

He additionally admitted possessing 22 Schedule 1 hen eggs in July 2023, possessing articles able to getting used to determine and take eggs and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order on June 9 2023.

Lingham has two earlier convictions for comparable crimes.

In 2005, police ‘cracked’ down on Lingham’s crimes, ensuing within the 71-year old being jailed for 10 weeks after he was discovered with a group of almost 4,000 eggs in his home.

While in 2018, he was discovered to be in possession of greater than 5,000 eggs for which he was jailed for 18 weeks and handed a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order aimed toward stopping him from committing comparable crimes sooner or later, Norfolk Police stated.

Under the order, Lingham is banned from getting into Holt Lowes between February 1 and October 1 in addition to many different websites throughout Norfolk and nationally – a lot of which appeared on place-name labels among the many containers.

Lingham stated he had been searching for adders and tiger beetles when he was “tempted” by the nightjar eggs attributable to his egg-collecting dependancy, which was a psychological well being concern, the courtroom heard.

He claimed a group on show in a cupboard within the bed room had come from an Essex home clearance and whereas they have been his, he had not taken them himself from the wild.

Tom Grose, an investigations officer from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) stated: “The scale of egg theft which Lingham has dedicated over the past 20 years is stunning.

“Sadly, his obsession with accumulating wild birds’ eggs has finally resulted in 1000’s of breeding birds, which have invested big quantities of power into rearing young, to fail.

“We’re relieved that this kind of crime is now comparatively uncommon within the UK, however this latest case has revealed that the breeding success of the nightjar, a species of conservation concern, has once more been focused in Norfolk by Lingham’s unlawful actions.”

PC Chris Shelley, from the Op Randall Rural Crime Team, stated: “Egg accumulating must be a passion that’s confined to the historical past books, having been made unlawful in 1954.

“Thankfully, there are only a few people now committing this crime however these few, together with Lingham, trigger an enormous quantity of hurt to 1000’s of birds, together with a few of our most at-risk species – on this case nightjar, linnet, yellow hammer and home sparrows to call just some.

“We would at all times encourage anybody who sees suspicious exercise round hen nests within the coming months to report as a lot element as potential utilizing our on-line kind or 999 if in progress.”

Lingham is because of be sentenced on May 3.