Hare coursing, bird trapping and the UK's role in the illegal global trading of wildlife will be discussed by a member of the Metropolitan Police at Wolfson College this Thursday (February 21).

Andy Fisher, head of the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit and the man responsible for looking at UK links to such crimes, will shed light on an industry worth more than £5billion a year globally.

He will also highlight how the Metropolitan Police's Wildlife Crime Unit has progressed from being a one man, part-time operation, to becoming the UK's only full-time wildlife crime enforcement unit.

They deal with all types of offences from destruction of habitat, illegal poisoning, bird trapping and hare coursing, to the illegal trade in endangered species from all over the world - a trade in which the UK, and London in particular, plays a prominent part. .

Their flagship operation against this trade is the innovative Operation Charm, a pioneering scheme that has inspired similar operations in a number of other countries. .

There is more information about the operation at www.operationcharm.org .

Anyone wishing to attend Thursday's talk should be at Lee Hall, Wolfson College, at 5.45pm for 6pm.

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