Man, 37, arrested after pile of dead animals dumped outside shop

A man has been arrested after dozens of dead animals were dumped outside a community shop.

Around 50 dead hares, a barn owl and a kestrel were left outside Broughton Community Shop in a picturesque Hampshire village earlier this month.

The previous month, a decapitated deer was found close to a primary school in a nearby village.

A 37-year-old man from Totton, near Southampton, has been arrested on suspicion of seven offences, and remains in custody.

They include various animal welfare and poaching offences, as well as a firearms-related offence.

Police said examinations of the barn owl and kestrel – both of which are legally protected – revealed the birds had been shot with a gun.

The birds were ‘stuffed’ on the door handles and blood was smeared on the windows, the shop’s treasurer said.

In February, 25 dead wild animals were found close to a primary school on Danes Road in the village of Awbridge, six miles away from Broughton.

The carcasses of pheasants and hares were discovered along with a ‘decapitated deer’, a local newspaper reported.

Country Watch Sergeant Stuart Ross said: ‘Since this incident took place, we have been actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and working with partner agencies to establish the circumstances of what happened.

‘We are grateful for the help we have received from the local community and we’d like to thank them for their patience while we investigate what happened.

‘There may be some people with information who have not yet come forward, and if so, we would urge them to do so as soon as possible.’

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