Bat-Man Gets Fined

Lesser Horseshoe Bats

A man in Cornwall has been found guilty of destroying a Lesser Horseshoe Bat roost whilst converting a barn that was on his property. He was advised that the bats were rare and he would need a license would be required, meaning the works would be put on hold, Mr Congden destroyed all evidence of the bats' presence and then had the works carried out.

A hearing in Bodmin Magistrates' Court on Friday 27th July 2012 found Mr Congden guilty of knowingly destroying the roost and he was fined £2500 and an additional £660 in costs.

Bats are rapidly becoming Britain’s rarest mammals with the population under great threat. With approximately 25% of the world's bats threatened with extinction and at least 12 bat species in the world, such as the Puerto Rican flower bat, have already become extinct. There are over 1,100 species of bat in the world with more still being discovered.

Bats are very important with over 500 plant species replying on bats to pollinate their flowers including species of mangos, durian, bananas, agave and guava. The pollination process of bats is called chiropterophily. Bats are also great pest controllers eating thousands of insects every night. They are a great help to farmers protecting their crops.

For help and advice regarding any bat problem, please contact the experts on or find your local branch.