Info from Leicester Police via e mail.

[oowee]

10 minutes ago, chairman said:

At 430pm this afternoon I had a desperate request from a farmer asking if I could attempt to keep pigeons off his new drilled peas as he was concerned that he would lose most of the seed and he had doubled up on the amount drilled to try to have some crop return subject to getting pickers. In view of the published response from Avon and Somerset I decided to give them a call to see what the options were and after explaining the request from the farmer and his attempt to ensure a future crop, I was informed that it would be classed as crop protection and I could drive to the fields and shoot. I was then issued with a log number that was sent by text so I could produce it should it be necessary 

absolutely no problem with Avon and Somerset once the situation had been explained to them and they were allowed to make the decision regarding crop protection and log number issued at 455pm

Chairman

Very helpful thank you. Did you ring 101?

[clangerman]

7 minutes ago, oowee said:

Very helpful thank you. Did you ring 101?

as that’s a different response from mine this morning think the amount contacting A+S today has pushed them into some common sense looks like we are good to go on crop protection then nice one 

[Mightymariner]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Questions have to be asked as to why different police forces have a different answer.  I think I will write to Priti Patel she seems a sensible lady who says it as it should be.

Exactly. Lincs Police firearms dept were as non-committal as Avon. BASC should have been on this a lot earlier than they were.

[chairman]

I phoned 101 and when I got through,I ignored the coronavirus announcement and selected the last option from the list. This got me to an operator who then after explaining what I was calling about transferred me to another department who made the decision that my request was for crop protection and issued me with a reference number that in her own words was for me to show anybody should I get stopped. It was apparent that had I have not had the exact details of the fields I wished to shoot, the farmers name and contact number and the address of the farm and have a genuine reason, the outcome might well have been different

chairman

[mudpatten]

It`s important that we all keep up the pressure on the police to compell them to get a set of uniform and common sense interpretations of the new Regulations so that countrywide enforcement is the same.

We already have mission creep by the police with regard to medical notes and certificates. It is not the job of the police to interpret legislation themselves and we witnessed the heavy handed reaction from some forces who seem to have lost all touch with the common sense that the British police were once so famous for.

If we`re not careful, one spin off from coronavirus will be the need to inform the police every time one goes shooting.

Looked at logically, there can be fewer safer places than sitting alone in the middle of an isolated field, having driven there in a near hermetically sealed car on roads almost completely devoid of traffic.

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, chairman said:

I phoned 101 and when I got through,I ignored the coronavirus announcement and selected the last option from the list. This got me to an operator who then after explaining what I was calling about transferred me to another department who made the decision that my request was for crop protection and issued me with a reference number that in her own words was for me to show anybody should I get stopped. It was apparent that had I have not had the exact details of the fields I wished to shoot, the farmers name and contact number and the address of the farm and have a genuine reason, the outcome might well have been different

chairman

Hi chairman .......... When you say exact details of the field , do you mean crops or the map reference number of that particular field ?              THANKS

[B725]

I've had a message sent me from one farmer stating that he wants the pest control doing to protect his crop's, I can send it to the police if required,it has all his detail's. So far I have had no reply to my email to Derbyshire Police.

[Walker570]

On second thoughts maybe we should all write a letter to Preti Patel.....write a letter, you know on paper and in an envelope ...... no delete buttons on those.

[chairman]

 I think under the current situation, the 101 staff possibly don't have the time to read and reply to emails so a polite phone call is the best way forward. I had available when I phoned, the farmers name and address along with his contact details, the reason for my request and the village where the fields were and in my case an easy identified land mark as it would appear that this information was viewed and identified on a map of the area. I don't think that to simply state crop protection is sufficient unless you can state a good reason for responding to the farmers request.

chairman

[Lucky Shot 1958]

See attached from Durham Police,sent this to Suffolk Police today and asked if the same applies to Suffolk ,still awaiting for a reply won't  be until Monday now...fingers crossed.

[old'un]

1 hour ago, Lucky Shot 1958 said:

See attached from Durham Police,sent this to Suffolk Police today and asked if the same applies to Suffolk ,still awaiting for a reply won't  be until Monday now...fingers crossed.

well that’s interesting, all the other force areas just need to join the dots up now.

 

Thanks for posting.

[phaedra1106]

Nice to see Durham actually get something right for once.

They've had a 3-4 month backlog for months, several people I know who had the 8 week extension letters still didn't get their certs back in that time. 

And of course they're still wasting time and resources insisting on doctors letters from everyone, even though they are not required under firearms legislation or Home Office guidelines unless there's a specific reason.

[Walker570]

12 hours ago, old'un said:

well that’s interesting, all the other force areas just need to join the dots up now.

 

 

Thanks for posting.

Suggest you do not hold your breath.   Thirty odd years ago I was in favour of a National Police Force and still am. I live very close indeed to Four Counties, where the four counties meet up in the same place.   Notts, Staffs, Leics and Warwicks and have farms in all those counties I can shoot on, in one or two places where one field is in one county and one in another.  Each of those county forces have a Chief Constable who will do his own thing with no National directives as to how he should deal with the situation and I am certain we are bottom of the list in priorities.

 

[dansage]

As the original post states, Leicestershire police are fine with it. They just said as long as I had permission and obeying the 50yd rules from footpaths and roads etc I was fine. I always email the address they gave me with a Google map outline of where I am along with start and stops times etc and the reason.

I was approached the other day by an officer who was very helpful, I showed him the email I'd sent and he was absolutely fine and said good luck. I'd asked him if he was there because of any complaints and he said no he just saw my car parked in the gate entrance. I was behind a hide so he may not have seen me anyway but I took the call to make myself known and approached him, obeying the 2m rule of course!

 

Dan

[mr smith]

Had the all clear by police Scotland to go up the farm for pest control,just to phone 101 first.I wasn't going to ask till the farmer contacted me but got a text about pigeons on the newly sown fields.

[ShootingEgg]

On 02/04/2020 at 08:21, oowee said:

Try Avon and Somerset.

Thank you for your email.

If you are unsure what you can or cannot do following the recent measures announced by the Prime Minister, for further guidance and advice please visit:  

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Unfortunately, we are not able to issue individual permission at this time.

Sorry we are unable to assist you any further with your query at this time, we are currently only dealing with reports and advice about crime.

Kind Regards

Avon and Somerset Constabulary

I emailed them to say I'd moved house then lockdown has meant my cabinets are still at my parents... No response. So they best not kick off at anything. 

[Fisheruk]

I have a direct number for the local constabulary control room, always give them a call and advise them I’m going vermin shooting, they make a log and text the log number to you. Very often all done and dusted within 2 minutes. It helps to have the postcode of the area you are shooting ready for when they ask.

[Walker570]

I spoke with one of my farmers today and he has 135 acres of maize to sow and asked if I was available. I said that I intended in staying put until things cieared up a bit. He understood and said he hoped by the time they come to drill that will be the case and it would be a couple of weeks before the shoots showed and the crows took advantage. Located in two counties.

In understod that I was not going to put myself in danger of catching the virus.

[walshie]

On 02/04/2020 at 08:36, Walker570 said:

Try dialling 101 which I asume should put you through to your Police HQ control unit and tell them what you are going to do and see what the response is then. Explain that Leicestershire Police are happy to deal with the situation this way if there are any questions.

I will give Derbyshire a call/e mail and see what their response is as I have areas in that County which i shoot on as well.

When you call 101 you are put through to a call centre with civilian staff. You can ask them for a CAD number which is a record of what you're doing, where and when, but they can't give or refuse you permission. . 

[hwr]

I feel this is a sad reflection on how present police forces feel they have to police.

they have “to be told”

I would thought common sense would prevail, if you are protecting food stocks.

In reality, most are townies and to them guns are only used by robbers!

Courtesy would suggest you could notify them of loud bangs esp. at night as more people are at home than normal. However always beware of setting a precedent.

Also more people are about in the field exercising than I’ve ever seen before.

Safe crop protection and wash your hands!

H

[Dave-G]

This was a reply I got from Leics firearms:

 "At this moment in time there is no published advisory reference shooting and pest control. The Leicestershire Firearms Licencing are following the government guidelines.

xxxx xxxxxx , the firearms licencing manager is giving the above advice to all telephone and email enquiry's until we are informed by the chief officer of police or the government of any changes.

Stay at home, save lives.

xxxx xxxxx. "

 

I see the Permanent Secretary of Defra: Tamara Finklestein has had so many other government jobs in her portfolio, that she could likely learn something about the way countryside activity seriously escalates in spring... Perhaps BASC could help her along a bit.

 

 

[Bobba]

I received an urgent email request from my permission as there was massive crow numbers on newly planted barley. I rang 101 and explained the situation. I was told that crop protection is regarded as essential work. The Officer gave me his "collar number" in case I was stopped. Great response from A&S which reflects the situation described by Chairman in his post above.

[mossy835]

i was asked to go out by one of my farmers. and said no its a lock down,he said fine see you when its over,so stay in.

Edited April 9, 2020 by mossy835

[Lucky Shot 1958]

On 03/04/2020 at 19:20, Lucky Shot 1958 said:

See attached from Durham Police,sent this to Suffolk Police today and asked if the same applies to Suffolk ,still awaiting for a reply won't  be until Monday now...fingers crossed.

I received a reply from my constabulary advising me to contact DEFRA re essential crop protection,this I did and I was told that I can do crop protection as long as I am alone and I am not showing any signs or symptoms of C-19,I recorded  the message in case I am challanged by whoever....so off I went without incident....

[Dave-G]

6 hours ago, Lucky Shot 1958 said:

I received a reply from my constabulary advising me to contact DEFRA re essential crop protection,this I did and I was told that I can do crop protection as long as I am alone and I am not showing any signs or symptoms of C-19,I recorded  the message in case I am challanged by whoever....so off I went without incident....

A copy of that recording would be very helpful to reduce a bunch of calls to Defra if you feel you can do that - although it would be better if Defra announced it on their website.

After thinking about it, a recording would not prove its come from Defra.

Edited April 10, 2020 by Dave-G