BIRDS of prey continue to be illegally killed in Cumbria, according to the latest figures.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Bird's Birdcrime report has revealed that there were four confirmed incidents of bird of prey crime in the county last year.

These include the shootings of a buzzard, two short-eared owls and a peregrine.

Between 2012 and 2017 there were 19 confirmed bird of prey crimes in Cumbria, making it the joint sixth worst county in the UK for raptor persecution.

Nationally, there were 68 incidents of bird of prey persecution in 2017.

The Birdcrime report found there were 48 shootings, nine poisoning, three trappings, four nest destruction and four other incidents of illegal persecution against raptors.

The RSPB said the numbers were "just the tip of the iceberg ", with charity bosses saying many illegal killings had gone undetected or unreported.

The charity also pointed out there were only four raptor persecution-related prosecutions in the UK in 2017 and only a single conviction.

Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said: “Birds of prey are part of our heritage and inspire us.

"We should all be able to enjoy seeing these magnificent birds, however illegal activity continues to put species at risk. "There are laws in place to protect these birds but they are clearly not being respected or adequately enforced.

"We need governments across the UK to do more to tackle illegal killing to protect our raptors for us and future generations to enjoy.”

According to to the charity, previous research has shown that illegal killing of birds of prey is associated with land managed for intensive driven grouse shooting, leaving vast areas of our uplands without typical breeding raptors.

Governments need to do far more to create a climate of accountability, particularly on shooting estates, according to the RSPB.

The RSPB is calling on the UK governments to introduce a system of licensing for driven grouse shooting, to ensure land is managed legally and sustainably.

The charity's head of investigations, Bob Elliot, said: "These figures only scratch the surface of the true extent of raptor persecution in the UK.”

The RSPB has launched an interactive heat map allowing people to see the extent of crimes against birds of prey.