The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is appealing for a new approach to wildlife crime after it was revealed that just 51 out of 3514, less than 3%, reported cases resulted in a criminal conviction in 2008.

According to the RSPB there is an inconsistent and often poor police response creating an environment where those committing wildlife crime do so without fear of detection or prosecution.

Mark Thomas, who heads the RSPB’s wildlife crime department, said: “We jokingly say it’s like running a marathon, and in the final third of the marathon hurdles begin to appear, and when you get right to the finishing line the hurdles have got spikes on, and the spikes have got poisonous tips.”

Admittedly wildlife crimes such as egg theft or badger baiting, often occur in remote rural locations, meaning that detection is often delayed and making the gathering of evidence difficult. However, conservationists believe more could and should be done.

The RSPB is calling for a fundamental review of the way crimes against wildlife are dealt with in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The charities say the lack of national standards has led to an inconsistent and often poor response to wildlife crime from police.

The RSPB’s head of investigations, Ian West said: “If you’ve got some people with particular knowledge, such as in Norfolk with a specialist prosecutor, you can get some very good prosecutions. In other areas they don’t have that expertise.”

There has already been a review of wildlife crime policing in Scotland which recommended the appointment of a full-time wildlife coordinator within each police force area and minimum standards of investigation.

But the chief constable of Lincolnshire, Richard Crompton, who speaks for the Association of Chief Police Officers on wildlife crime, warns that a similar review in England is unlikely for some time: “I’m not sure that at the moment our Inspectorate would be able to carry out such a review. It might be put on the agenda for later, but at the moment I know they are heavily engaged in a whole range of other reviews which must come before this one.”

Mr Crompton does expect to see an increase in the conviction rate in the coming years, though, and says he will try to raise the profile of wildlife crime.

Mark Thomas thinks that with a bit of extra effort from police and prosecutors, those who persecute peregrines and other wild creatures will be less likely to get away with it: “We just need to all work together, and work better and more efficiently… that is the way to be successful at fighting wildlife crime.”