A man from Kent was forced to pay more than £300 in fines after being involved in an illegal bird trading gang.

An RSPCA and police raid uncovered the group of bird lovers meeting up in a pub in east London to trade in wild goldfinches.

They found 40 cages of birds when they caught eight members of the group red-handed.

The men aged 26 to 68 came from London, Essex, Kent, County Durham and West Yorkshire and were handed fines after admitting possession of wild birds at the pub on February 2.

One of the secret traders, Jack Rogers, 30, is from Swanley. He was fined £160 and ordered to £180 in court costs for possession of one goldfinch.

Rogers told officers he was new to the hobby and wanted to buy the goldfinch to breed with a canary.

A spokesman from the RSPCA’s special operations unit said: “We worked with police for weeks compiling intelligence after information that a group of men were meeting at The Bell pub in Leytonstone on a Saturday morning to trade in wild birds.

"Taking a wild bird from its natural habitat and shutting it in a tiny cage is cruel..." RSPCA

“When the warrants were executed we found a large group of men with around 40 cages of birds of which many were suspected to be wild.

“The illegal trapping and trading in wild birds has long been a problem. Taking a wild bird from its natural habitat and shutting it in a tiny cage is cruel.

“These birds can suffer immeasurably, not only physically but also mentally, and they often die shortly after being captured.”

All men pleaded guilty to one offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act banning possession of wild live birds.

A further six men who denied the charges and three others who were not at the original hearing earlier this month are due to appear later at Thames Magistrates Court.

One of those men is charged with having trapping equipment and nearly 200 birds, including linnets, goldfinches, siskins and bullfinches at an address in Southend, Essex.

Another has already admitted being in breach of a previous order not to have goldfinches.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said: "Goldfinches can be seen anywhere there are scattered bushes and trees, rough ground with thistles and other seeding plants. Likes orchards, parks, gardens, heathland and commons.

"They are less common in upland areas and most numerous in southern England.

"The goldfinch is a highly coloured finch with a bright red face and yellow wing patch. Sociable, often breeding in loose colonies, they have a delightful liquid twittering song and call.

"In winter many UK goldfinches migrate as far south as Spain."

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