Attacks on keepers occur every 12 days

The Moorland Association has launched an appeal for anecdotal evidence of abuse against gamekeepers as new crime statistics reveal the true scale of violence facing Britain’s rural conservation workers.

Previously unreported figures from The Grouse Moor Gamekeeper in England in the Twenty-First Century report, commissioned by the Regional Moorland Groups and National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO), show an upland gamekeeper is physically assaulted on average every 12 days.

Unsurprisingly, 33 keepers reported suffering from mental health issues directly linked to such abuse and intimidation. The Peak District has emerged as a particular flashpoint, accounting for nearly nine in 10 threats and almost two-thirds of physical assaults. This reflects intense public pressure in heavily populated areas where millions of visitors converge annually.

Daily challenges

Beyond personal attacks, keepers face a relentless stream of rural crime, from vehicle theft to livestock worrying, often becoming first responders where police resources are stretched thinly. The abuse extends to confrontations over routine conservation work, from asking dog walkers to use leads during nesting season to preventing dangerous campfires that could devastate thousands of acres.

The statistics reveal the grim reality behind seemingly simple requests: gamekeepers asked visitors to extinguish potentially catastrophic fires over 2,300 times in a single year, while also confronting illegal activities including drug dealing and organised poaching.

Moorland Association takes a stand

Andrew Gilruth, chief executive of the Moorland Association, said: “Imagine being assaulted for protecting wildlife, threatened for stopping wildfires and insulted for saving ground-nesting birds. That’s the daily reality for our moorland gamekeepers. Much of this hostility is being stirred up deliberately by organisations whose relentless rhetoric paints hardworking keepers as villains. We will not be cowed; we will not apologise for doing the right thing.”

The persecution occurs despite gamekeepers’ vital conservation role. The study shows more than half the UK’s curlew and two in five lapwings depend on grouse moors, while keepers help rescue lost walkers, provide first aid, and assist stranded motorists almost daily.

Abuse of gamekeepers is “totally unacceptable,” says GWT chief

Helen Benson, CEO of the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust (GWT), added: “The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust frequently receives calls from gamekeepers and their families who have been abused and physically assaulted throughout the UK. The impact on families as well as individuals on their physical and mental health is totally unacceptable.”

The Moorland Association urges gamekeepers to share experiences, promising anonymity while compiling evidence of this crisis. Such evidence could bolster campaigns for improved protection from government and police forces. As the evidence mounts, the question becomes not whether action is needed, but when it will come.

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