WILDLIFE crime and incidents of abuse against birds of prey have fallen in Scotland in the past year.

Figures showed the number of such incidents fell from 22 in 2010 to 12 in the year to the end of September 2011.

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) said it was a positive trend and continued a decline since 2009, when there were 36 incidents.

However, as the statistics were published by the Scottish Government's Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, a gamekeeper was convicted and fined £635 for possessing a highly toxic banned pesticide.

Cyril McLachlan, a gamekeeper of 40 years' experience, appeared yesterday in Lanark Sheriff Court where he admitted possessing Carbofuran, a toxic pesticide banned in 2001.

McLachlan, who was not a member of the SGA, was arrested a year ago after a buzzard and pheasant were found to have been poisoned by Carbofuran in the area.

Last week another gamekeeper, David Whitefield, was found guilty in the same court of poisoning four buzzards.

Bob Elliot, head of investigations at RSPB Scotland, said: "Not only do these illegal chemicals kill birds and other wildlife but they have the potential to poison domestic pets and endanger any people that come into contact with them."

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association chairman Alex Hogg said: "These figures from SASA are further indication that the message is getting through about wildlife crime in Scotland, although even one incident is too many."