South Yorkshire Police have confirmed that they are investigating after bags and boxes of dead geese were found in Birley Wood in Sheffield.

Police were called to the entrance of Birley Wood Spa on Dyke Vale Road on Sunday 26 November after several bin bags and a plastic container of dead geese were found.

Some pheasants were also found in the bags alongside Canadian geese, and some of which had their heads removed.

Officers believe that more geese may also have been targeted.

However, this is not the first time several geese have died in South Yorkshire.

In December 2022 geese, swans and ducks were found dead having testing positive for Bird flu in Doncaster.

Having been found near Doncaster Lakeside, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) advised against any interaction with the birds after the outbreak of the disease.

There was also controversy in Wath in Rotherham in November 2021, when geese were legally culled.

The culling, which involves geese being slaughtered to reduce their population, led to MP for Wentworth and Dearne John Healey saying on Facebook that it raised ‘serious questions’.

In the Birley Wood incident, police have appealed for witnesses or anyone who may have more information to contact them.

This can be done online, via live chat or by calling 101 and quoting incident number 406 of 26 November 2023.