The abuse of gamekeepers has sunk to a new low

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Sadly, here at the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation we are used to reports of our members being subject to abuse, and indeed receiving vitriol ourselves. In fact, our latest survey of members showed that a massive 68.3% of members had been threatened or intimidated for doing their job.

These statistics are appalling; in our opinion that number should be 0%. In no way is it acceptable that a person should expect to receive abuse or threats simply for going about their daily, lawful job.

Others obviously think differently, and the latest example of vitriol directed at gamekeepers will take some beating. Perhaps none of us should be surprised at the lengths to which BBC presenter Chris Packham will go to defame gamekeepers, but the video he posted last week – working in cahoots with his friends at Wild Justice – takes abuse and vitriol to an entirely different level.

The video, in which Packham – Vice President of the RSPB – interviews an actor playing the role of a fictional ‘gamekeeper’ is, we appreciate, intended to be humorous. Sadly the caricatures and cheap generalisations used in the video are so unfunny that many of his followers did not even realise it was fake.

Indeed, if any other sector of the community were targeted in this way, we are sure that Packham and Wild Justice would jump to denounce the video not just for inciting hatred against a sector of the community, but for its general distastefulness.  

So why, then, is it ok to not just make sweeping and incorrect statements in the name of ‘humour’, but also to encourage other people to throw these accusations at rural workers?

We are fully aware that Wild Justice and Packham will argue that it is a ‘parody’. But the reality is that in a world where keepers are already subject to abuse simply for doing their job, videos like these – spreading untruths in the name of ‘humour’ – incite further hatred against this section of the rural community.

We understand that the police have already received complaints about this video, which will come as little surprise to those who have watched it.

It is a shame that Packham and Wild Justice feel the need to lower themselves to abuse simply to encourage more signatures on their petition to ban driven grouse shooting; bear in mind that the Government has recently had to respond to their last petition, in January 2025, stating that:

"The Government has no plans to ban driven grouse shooting. It recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment. The Government considers that well-managed shooting activities can bring benefits to the rural economy and can be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation. We will continue work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between shooting and conservation."

The Government's comments reflect what gamekeepers and the NGO have been saying and doing for decades. It is obvious to those who take the time to look at managed grouse moors that they are thriving habitats for a host of wildlife.

Grouse moors are leading the way in conservation and many red and amber listed species of ground-nesting birds such as curlew, lapwing and golden plover are thriving, as well as many other species including raptors. They should be recognised for their successes, without which the British countryside would be in a far worse position.

ENDS

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