A charity said the perpetrators of wildlife crime are going unpunished despite high levels of public support for strong action against them.

Perpetrators of wildlife crime are going unpunished, despite overwhelming public support for action against them, a charity has warned.

A report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) details the raft of challenges facing efforts to fight criminals who harm wildlife such as badgers, foxes and birds of prey, from issues with gathering evidence to a lack of resources.

It warns that figures suggest just 6% to 14% of reported wildlife crimes in Scotland, the only UK nation to compile annual reports on such activity, result in a decision to prosecute.