A POLICE officer who is dedicated to protecting Scotland’s wildlife has been busy building up links across the country.

Tackling raptor persecution, poaching and hare coursing are the top priorities for Constable Gavin Ross.

Having recently taken up his new role as the investigative support officer for Scotland for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), the officer is a source of expertise in wildlife crime at both local and national level.

He is working with police wildlife liaison officers, NGOs, the Scottish Government, NatureScot, RSPB, the SSPCA and Scottish Land and Estates in a position which is funded by NatureScot.

The former Dunbar community officer said that a lot of his time in the new role had been spent building connections with the various groups and organisations.

He told the Courier: “While I do have a car, like everybody else I am having to be sensible and to only travel when absolutely necessary.

“It would be really good to build up these relationships face to face but we are doing the best we can meeting virtually.

“It is going well and once we are allowed to travel we will meet face to face.”

PC Ross was the local community police officer for Dunbar for eight years and has 21 years of police service, the majority in East Lothian.

NWCU’s main role is to assist in the prevention and detection of wildlife crime by obtaining and distributing information from a wide range of organisations and by helping police forces investigate wildlife crimes.

NWCU also produces analysis which highlights local or national threats.

The officer said: “When I was in Edinburgh, very early in my service, I became involved in investigating wildlife crime because of my interest and experience in this area.

“I’ve been a part-time wildlife crime officer throughout my whole service and the new job is the pinnacle of my career.

“I worked very hard preparing for my interview and was very keen to secure the job, which is a dream post.”

Andy Turner, NatureScot wildlife crime officer, welcomed PC Ross.

He said: “Eliminating wildlife crime is a huge priority for us, which is why we’ve provided funding for this post since 2014.

“Wildlife crime doesn’t just cause irreparable damage to Scotland’s nature; it also affects tourism, which in turn impacts on the economy.

“We are committed to working with NWCU, Police Scotland and other members of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime to tackle this challenging issue.

“We worked closely with Gavin’s predecessor Charlie Everitt to prevent wildlife crime and raise awareness.

“I look forward to continuing this important work with Gavin and the NWCU.”