The fatal shooting of a bird of prey in Cumbria was one of a catalogue of killings in a bad year of wildlife crimes.
A tawny owl died after being shot in the back of its head with an airgun pellet at Glasson Moss, near Port Carlisle.
It is one of a string of cases the RSPB believes add weight for calls to changes in wildlife law and policing so that crimes against animals can be given greater priority…