NEW warnings have been issued about the lack of action being taken to tackle badger baiting in Scotland.

Animal protection charity Scottish Badgers claims the criminal practice is on the rise and also warns that the police can be slow to investigate as there are not enough specialist wildlife officers.

The group also says there is a lack of awareness among call handlers that harming the animals or disturbing their setts is a crime.

Badger baiting involves the animals being dug out of their burrows and and then set upon by dogs. It dates back to medieval times when it was used as a form of public entertainment and has been banned in Britain since the mid 19th century.

The animals are one of Scotland’s most easily recognised native omnivores and have protected status under wildlife laws.

In a strongly worded submission to a Holyrood committee meeting next week, Scottish Badgers, which was set up in 1999 with support from the Scottish Government, warns of a rise in the number of cases. It is also concerned it can take weeks for police to launch an investigation and not enough is being done to prosecute cases.

“Call centres haven’t always recognised badger crime for what it is – crime. A police investigation needs to be timely because evidence on the ground deteriorates or is ‘removed’ – yet there are often delays of days or even weeks,” the charity told MSPs.

“Wildlife crime officers (WCLOs) are usually very efficient, courteous, skilled, helpful and conscientious. However, experienced WCLOs are not ‘made available’ as speedily or in the numbers needed.

“Frustratingly Badger crimes often do not progress to the next stage...”. Allied to this, the time span of decision-making can be very long, e.g. six, nine, 12 months, when valuable volunteer time and is consumed chasing police officers for up-to-date reports. [It] is highly significant that in recent years none of the cases we have been involved in have progressed to the procurator fiscal.”

The charity also told MSPs, who are meeting to discuss the Government’s latest annual Wildlife Crime in Scotland Report, that the crimes are being under-recorded by the police. The charity It said it identified 134 offences between 2012 and 2015, while only three people were prosecuted from 12 offences investigated.

“We come across many instances of disturbance to badger setts, and this is one reason the figures quoted in the Government’s report cause us concern,” it added.

“The report seems to suggest that badger crime hardly occurs in Scotland. The very small single figure numbers in the tables… do not reflect the many instances of disturbed setts and other incidents that we and members of the public come across.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Head of Wildlife Crime at Police Scotland, who will be among the experts at Tuesday’s meeting, said the force was committed to investigating wildlife crime.

“Our detection rate is increasing, but investigations into wildlife crime can be difficult and prolonged and the areas covered can be vast and remote,” he said.

A Crown Office spokesman said consideration is given to any reports of alleged criminal conduct which are submitted by the police, or any specialist reporting agency, to the procurator fiscal and proceedings raised if there was sufficient evidence.