Man turns himself in after incident with peregrine falcon laser

While investigating a laser attack on a large bird box containing protected birds, police said a suspect identified himself to officers.

A conservationist said Saturday’s incident involving peregrine falcons outside St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Cromer “could have been fatal”.

This caused the female peregrine falcon to leave her nest and disappear with her chick and not return for several hours.

Norfolk Police said a man in his 40s from the Cromer area had apologised and said he had made a genuine mistake.

The man, whose name was not released by police, went to Cromer police station on Saturday.

A spokeswoman said the incident had been resolved through a community resolution and an agreement had been reached to destroy the laser.

He also agreed to make a donation to the Cromer Peregrine Project and to have a formal discussion with a police officer about the safe use of lasers.

Chris Skipper of the project previously said: “She (the female peregrine falcon) was standing on the chick as it flew away. Fortunately it was only standing on its tail, but if it had been upside down it could not have been a good sign.”

The large nesting box was installed in 2018 and the peregrine falcons nest near the church every year, attracting thousands of visitors.

Peregrine falcons are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and disturbing breeding birds is an offence.

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