CALLS for Yorkshire Water to end its grouse-shooting leases in some of Barnsley’s beauty spots have been made after owls were allegedly shot dead.

Campaign group, Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire’s Moors (BBYM), has identified reservoirs including Scout Dike, Royd Moor, Winscar and Langsett as areas of concern and have put pressure on the utilities firm which controls the surrounding land to tear up shooting agreements.

According to campaigners, two incidents involving the illegal shooting of owls a protected bird of prey have taken place in Barnsley this year following incidents before Christmas on Wessenden Head and Digley Moor, near Holmfirth.

They also say heather burn ing undertaken to manage the habitat for game birds has also been performed over water courses in breach of official regulations, a practice which damages peatland and pollutes catchment water which feeds into nearby reservoirs.

More than 12,000 people have signed a petition to Yorkshire Water’s chief executive, Richard Flint, demanding the company brings its grouse-shooting leases to an end to protect wildlife.

A spokesman from BBYM said: “The wildlife persecution that’s been uncovered is clearly inexcusable. There is one clear motive for such a barbaric act, with gamekeepers routinely eradicating natural predators of red grouse to increase game bird populations for shooting parties.

“Every local authority in the county, including the nearby Peak District National Park Authority, has ended the blood sport on their uplands estates, having once allowed it, and Yorkshire Water is now being urged to follow their example.

“Yorkshire Water must walk the walk and immediately terminate its grouse-shooting lease. If they want to be recognised as taking its environmental responsibilities seriously, then ending the lease is the only course of action that will suffice.

“Grouse-shooting is intrinsically incompatible with Yorkshire Water’s duty to provide good, long-term environmental stewardship of the region’s uplands for the benefit of wildlife, habitat, leisure and the regional economy.”

The Chronicle can reveal South Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Police are working together on an investigation alongside Yorkshire Water, which said it was ‘committed to cooperating with the investigation’.

A spokesman said: “Wildlife crime is never acceptable and we take any allegations very seriously. However, we must also ensure that any action taken is based on clear evidence.

“Therefore, we will work close ly with the police to find out more but for a number of years our policy has been that if there is proof of criminal activity by any of our tenants we will take steps to end their tenancy immediately.”

As part of last month’s Operation Duxford, Barnsley-based officers carried out vis its to rural communities as a response to the incidents as well as wider crime committed in on-the-border villages.

Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association, added: “The well-established socioeconomic and environ mental benefits of moorland management for wild red grouse are widely accepted by conserva tion bodies and the government.

“In 2018 we were hugely encouraged by the best hen harrier breeding season in a decade and the fact that 60 per cent of the successfully fledged chicks had help from gamekeepers.

“These are ground-nesting birds, vulnerable to predation, and predator management is a recognised conservation tool for moorland management.

“Grouse moor managers work incredibly closely with Yorkshire Water to ensure best practice across a raft of activities.

“This management also cre ates an ideal environment for a variety of fauna and flora to flourish. Likewise, controlled heather burning which is also a vital part of this careful management, reducing the fuel load available for devastating wildfires without damaging the underlying peat.”