Hundreds of outraged Moray residents have handed a petition to council chiefs calling for a halt to a controversial goose shoot on a nature reserve.
A group of eight residents of Kinloss, Findhorn and Forres started the petition asking for a bylaw on the killing of geese and ducks in the Findhorn Bay Local Nature Reserve in the middle of November.
Now more than 800 have signed the petition, which was delivered to the council headquarters in Elgin yesterday morning.
Lead petitioner Lisa Mead claimed she had heard reports of camouflage-clad men carrying shotguns “taking over” areas of the bay used by dog walkers and bird watchers.
The group further claims that the wildfowlers leave the corpses of the animals they kill lying on the beaches for residents and small children to find.
The council has previously rejected the by-law arguing it would struggle to monitor the shooting on the reserve.
Ms Mead said: “We’ve been amazed by the response in such a short period of time.
“It isn’t only the bullets that are a danger but people having been finding shot birds in residential areas.
“A ten pound goose falling on someone from height could cause serious damage to a person not to mention all the suffering of the poor bird.”
But a spokesman for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) said wildfowling added hundreds of millions to the Scottish economy.
Dr Colin Shedden, BASC’s director Scotland, said: “On Findhorn Bay, an increasing number of roosting pink-footed geese has led to some increases in shooting activity and that has resulted in the petition that now calls for a ban on wildfowling.
“BASC and the local wildfowling club would support the local authority if it were to carry out the necessary consultation that could lead to the introduction of by-laws.
“By-laws could then introduce a permit system that would manage the wildfowling on Findhorn Bay and ensure it was sustainable and carried out in accordance with our code of practice.”
A Moray council spokesman said: “Once the petition is validated a report will go to the next meeting of the council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee which is on March 8.”