POLICE, conservationists and sportsmen have united to condemn the actions of the first man to be convicted of killing a swan with lead bullets.

Electrical company director Simon Quince, 36, was part of a shooting party at Spellow Grange, Staveley near Boroughbridge, when he fired at the young mute swan. The bird had to be put down.

It became illegal to use lead bullets to shoot birds in 1999, while swans are a protected species and belong to the Queen.

Simon Clarke, of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: “It is absolutely essential that shooters are able to properly identify their quarry before pulling the trigger.

Swans are fully protected by law and may not be shot except under specific licence for crop protection.”

Jeff Knott, of the RSPB, said lead was so toxic it had been banned in paint, petrol and children’s toys as well as in bird shooting. It is troubling that these regulations are still being flouted and this conviction reinforces the conclusions of a recent report to Government which highlighted that 70 per cent of duck on sale in England were shot illegally with lead. Lead shot continues to contaminate the environment long after the gun has fallen silent.”

North Yorkshire Police wildlife officer Gareth Jones said: “North Yorkshire Police Wildlife Unit is dedicated to the protection of wildlife within the county and beyond. This case demonstrates the partnership working that is so important in preventing and detecting wildlife crime.”

Quince, of Hart Hill, Hemingfield, near Barnsley, pleaded guilty to a charge of destroying a mute swan and using lead shot to shoot a wild bird, the first-ever prosecution involving the use of lead for shooting.

Harrogate magistrates fined him £645. For Quince, Geoffrey Rogers said he was not a particularly experienced shooter, and had made a serious mistake which he regretted.