WALES: Force's wildlife officer retires.

Byline: By HYWEL TREWYN

A POLICEMAN who specialised in catching badger baiters, egg collectors and poachers among other criminals is retiring.

Sergeant Pete Charleston, North Wales Police's Wildlife and Environmental Officer, has spent almost 30 years with the force.

He will be leaving in the NewYear having served the last seven years as the force's only dedicated Wildlife and Environmental officer and the first in the UK to be seconded to work with a conservation organisation. He called it "a perfect job".

"It's has been the best job in the world and it's also been a way of life," he said.

"I've always had a great interest in this field and this role has enabled me to develop a far greater personal understanding and knowledge of countryside and wildlife issues."

Since starting in the post in 2000, Sgt Charleston has dealt with around 2,500 cases.

He said: "The highlights of my career would have to be protecting the first ospreys that nested in Wales in 2004 and see them return year on year.

"Other cases which stand out that I have dealt with have involved great-crested newts, bats and fresh water pearl mussels.

"What I have most enjoyed was the opportunity to access so much knowledge held by others that has been so willingly shared.

"What's changed since coming to post is the force genuinely recognises wildlife crime as offences far more than it used to when I first joined in 1978. We have developed contacts that enable us to deal effectively with wildlife crime in North Wales."

Some of the high-profile cases Sgt Charleston was involved in include prosecution of two men for illegally harvesting 200,000 wild bluebell bulbs at Llanaelhaearn, near Pwllheli.

He also he caught a Merseyside man disturbing a goshawk which then abandoned her eggs at a nest near Brenig reservoir above Cerrigydrudion.

CAPTION(S):

Sgt Pete Charleston