Statutory guidance

Appendix 1 - training or experience requirements

Updated 1 January 2024

Applies to England

Class licence CL30: Appendix 1 - Training or experience requirements

Annex A: interfere with badger setts

Activity	Experience or training
Unblocking of illegally blocked setts	To be carried out by an experienced and licensed badger specialist or Wildlife Crime Officer. Blocked badger setts could be gassed and there is a real health and safety risk in unblocking blocked setts. Seek advice from Natural England via the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) on 0800 321600 or 0300 060 6000 out of hours or from the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Examination of blocked or damaged setts	To be carried out by an experienced and licensed badger specialist or Wildlife Crime Officer. Blocked badger setts could be gassed and there is a real health and safety risk in unblocking blocked setts. Seek advice from Natural England via the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) on 0800 321600 or 0300 060 6000 out of hours or from the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Obtaining soil samples for forensic analysis	Preferably carried out by a scene of crime officer (SOCO) or crime scene investigator (CSI) but could be carried out by any officer with the powers of seizure.
Examination of a sett subject to an offence, ie photography, site plan, etc	Preferably carried out by SOCO or CSI but could be carried out by any officer.
Recovery of a live badger taken by badger baiters	No training required but ideally, a badger should only be handled by a suitably experienced person working under the supervision of an officer – such as a Vet or RSPCA Animal Collection Officer or Inspector.
Seizure of mounted badgers during search warrants	No training required.
Seizure of dead badger during a badger digging or baiting investigation	No training required.
Possession for education and training purposes (dead specimen)	No training required.

Annex B: disturb and take European protected species

Activity	Experience or training
Initial examination of a bat roost subject to offences which may include entry into the roost	Ideally accompanied by a Natural England licensed bat worker, but initial examination may take place without a bat worker present if urgent examination is required.
Evidence gathering at a bat roost for an ongoing investigation, photographic evidence, scene examination	Ideally accompanied by a Natural England licensed bat worker but initial examination may take place without a bat worker present if urgent examination is required.
Evidence gathering for an illegal offence at a breeding site or resting place of an Annex II species, such as, great crested newt, dormouse, otter	In non-urgent cases Officers should be accompanied by a Natural England licensed person for the species concerned.
Recovery and retention of dead bats found during an investigation into a roost - destruction or disturbance offence	No training required.
Seizure and retention of Annex IV(a) dead species recovered during investigation (for example, eBay enquiry)	No training required.
Seizure and retention of Annex IV(a) live species recovered during investigation (for example, pet shop investigation)	To be carried out by an experienced Natural England licensed specialist or an appropriately trained Wildlife Crime Officer.
Possible transportation of dead species for forensic or other analysis	No training required.
Possession for education and training purposes	No training required.

Annex C: Disturb and take any species listed under Schedules 1, 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)

Activity	Experience or training
Investigation into illegal falconry and recovery of illegally taken birds: dead specimens	No training required.
Investigation into illegal falconry and recovery of illegally taken birds: live specimens	To be carried out by an experienced Natural England licensed specialist or an appropriately trained Wildlife Crime Officer. Statutory defence under section 2(4) may apply.
Investigation into illegal possession of dead birds (taxidermy) and recovery and retention for court	No training required.
Investigation of possible illegal sale of parts and derivatives such as, feathers, for recovery and retention for court (for example, eBay investigation)	No training required.
Possession for education and training purposes	No training required.
Search warrant on illegal egg collectors, recovery and retention of eggs for Court	No training required.
Investigation into illegal falconry - evidence gathering at nest site (if nest is, or is thought to be in use or being built)	To be carried out by an experienced Natural England licensed specialist or an appropriately trained Wildlife Crime Officer.
Evidence gathering during egg collecting investigation - checking whether nest has been robbed (if nest is, or is thought to be in use or being built)	To be carried out by an experienced Natural England licensed specialist or an appropriately trained Wildlife Crime Officer.
Evidence gathering during illegal nest disturbance investigation (for example, unlicensed photography) - checking nest activity (if nest is, or is thought to be in use or being built)	To be carried out by an experienced Natural England licensed specialist or an appropriately trained Wildlife Crime Officer.
Monitoring of vulnerable nest sites - crime prevention activities (if nest is, or is thought to be in use or being built)	To be carried out by an experienced Natural England licensed specialist or an appropriately trained Wildlife Crime Officer.
Seizure and retention of dead Schedule 5 species recovered during an investigation (for example, eBay enquiry or taxidermy)	No training required. Statutory defences may apply.
Seizure and retention of live Schedule 5 species recovered during an investigation	No training required, but ideally specimens should only be handled by a suitably experienced person working under the supervision of an Officer – such as a Vet or RSPCA Animal Collection Officer or Inspector.
Possession of Schedule 5 species for education and training purposes	No training required.
Evidence gathering of an offence at a breeding site or resting place of a Schedule 5 species (such as, photography or scene examination)	In non-urgent cases, Officers should be accompanied by a Natural England licensed person for the species concerned.

Annex D: possess and transport dead specimens.

No training required.