Police in the Cotswolds are examining the finding of three dead badgers, an official source has said.

Gloucestershire Constabulary’s rural crime team is asking for help from residents after several badgers were found shot dead in the Tewkesbury region.

Officers were alerted on Saturday 21 March that the three badger corpses had been placed on a public footpath at Buckland Wood in Broadway.

The exact position of the discovery was along the path on the northern side of Buckland Wood, and officers think the badgers had been shot a few days earlier.

The Badger Trust and Gloucestershire Badger Group also contacted police after a fourth badger was discovered dead nearby, with officials establishing that creature had also been shot.

PC Parker from the rural crime team said badgers receive statutory protection and intentionally catching, killing, or injuring a badger is an illegal act. This situation has clearly upset those with concern for wildlife, and detectives are determined to identify those responsible.

Craig Fellowes, wildlife crime manager and trainer for the Badger Trust, said British badgers continue to suffer illegal persecution, despite clear laws prohibiting their shooting except in specific circumstances. While some view badgers as vermin, they are not. They have legal protection; unlawful shooting can result in six months’ imprisonment or an unlimited monetary penalty under the Protection of Badgers Act. The latest incident in Gloucestershire illustrates the ongoing challenges affecting badgers. Anyone with information should approach police, the Badger Trust, or local groups, or pass on details confidentially via Crimestoppers.