Latest news with #DavidLynn
BBC News
02-05-2025
- BBC News
Two poisoned Red Kites found dead in Castle Douglas
Police are appealing for information after two Red Kites were poisoned in the south of bird was found dead on Castle Douglas Golf Course on 10 April. A poisoned wood pigeon had been used as bait.A second red kite was found dead nearby on 15 April. The two protected birds of prey had ingested the same type of highly toxic Wildlife Crime Coordinator DS David Lynn said: "The use of this poison in a public area is extremely dangerous and poses a significant risk to anyone who comes into contact with it." Officers are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch.
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Daily Record
Two birds of prey poisoned at Scots golf course as police launch probe
The two birds ingested the same type of highly toxic poison, resulting in their death. Two birds of prey have been poisoned at a golf course in Dumfries and Galloway. Police launched a probe after a member of the public discovered a dead red kite and wood pigeon on Castle Douglas Golf Course on Thursday, April 10. Following enquiries, it was established that the red kite had been poisoned, and the wood pigeon was used as poisoned bait. On Tuesday, April 15, a second dead red kite was found nearby - and it has since been found that the two birds have ingested the same type of highly toxic poison, resulting in their death. National Wildlife Crime Coordinator Detective Sergeant David Lynn said: "Red kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is illegal to kill this protected species. 'Poisoning a bird or animal is not only cruel and callous, but it can harm other wildlife as well as members of the public. The use of this poison in a public area is extremely dangerous and poses a significant risk to anyone who comes into contact with it. " Our enquiries are ongoing, and we are working with our partner agencies to establish the full circumstances of this incident. We would urge the public not to handle any dead animals they may find in this area of Castle Douglas, and if there are suspicious circumstances, I would ask you to report this to police. I would appeal to anyone with any information about the poisoning of these birds to contact us.' If you saw anything suspicious or have any information about poisoning in the area, please contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 0785 of April 10. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously. It comes after police revealed two men had been arrested and charged after a red kite was "shot dead" in a separate incident in Aberdeenshire. Officers received a report that the bird had been killed in Glenbuchat, near Strathdon, sometime between Monday, February 3 and Tuesday, February 4. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The bird, which was found by a member of the public, was recovered with the assistance of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) where the cause of death was not apparent at that time. However, following further investigations, it was allegedly established that the bird had been shot and police were contacted. At the time officers appealed for information - and police today confirmed that two men, aged 39 and 42, have been arrested and charged in connection with wildlife offences. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with wildlife offences following enquiries into the death of red kites in the Strathdon area of Aberdeenshire in February, 2025. The men, aged 39 and 42, will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal."
STV News
02-05-2025
- STV News
'Cruel and callous': Birds of prey found dead on golf course after being poisoned
Police are appealing for information after two birds of prey were poisoned in Castle Douglas. A member of the public found a dead red kite and wood pigeon on Castle Douglas golf course on April 10. It was discovered that the protected bird of prey had been poisoned, and the wood pigeon had been used as poisoned bait. A second dead red kite was found nearby on April 15. The two birds ingested the same type of highly toxic poison, resulting in their death. National Wildlife Crime coordinator detective sergeant David Lynn said: 'Red kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is illegal to kill this protected species. 'Poisoning a bird or animal is not only cruel and callous, but it can harm other wildlife as well as members of the public. 'The use of this poison in a public area is extremely dangerous and poses a significant risk to anyone who comes into contact with it. 'Our enquiries are ongoing, and we are working with our partner agencies to establish the full circumstances of this incident. 'We would urge the public not to handle any dead animals they may find in this area of Castle Douglas, and if there are suspicious circumstances, I would ask you to report this to police. 'I would appeal to anyone with any information about the poisoning of these birds to contact us.' If you saw anything suspicious or have any information about poisoning in the area, contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 0785 of April 10. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Road trip a success for Poverty Bay East Coast indoor bowlers
David Lynn (PBEC) and Kevin Boothby (Thames Valley) also donated a trophy for the PBEC-Thames Valley match-up. The long-time friends have played together at several national competitions and, with the late Graeme Pedersen, won the 2003 North Island triples competition. The inaugural contest for the Boothby/Lynn Trophy was narrowly won by PBEC, 36-32. Top scorers for the day were Jay Casey, Kayla Trowell, Rachael Rickard and Andrew Rickard with six wins from eight games. On Sunday, PBEC contested the Bill Moore Memorial Cup against Rotorua, Whakatāne and Thames Valley in Whakatāne. PBEC emerged victorious on 89 points to retain the cup, Whakatāne were second on 79.5, Thames Valley third on 63 and Rotorua fourth on 56.5. PBEC also retained the Sunshine Trophy against Whakatāne, 25-23. Top scorers, with five wins from six games, were Keith Setter, Casey, Matthew Foster and Trowell. In other news, a group of PBEC bowlers competed in the Hawke's Bay Easter tournament. While several qualified for post-section play in several events, Lynn achieved the best PBEC player result of runner-up in the fours competition with Rodney Mills, Lisa Gould and David Pollard.
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Newborns treated with antibiotics respond less well to vaccines, study shows
Babies who are treated with antibiotics as newborns have reduced immune responses to vaccines in later infancy, likely due to changes in the gut microbiome, new research suggests. The Australian study tracked 191 healthy babies from birth, finding that those who received antibiotics in the first few weeks of life had significantly lower levels of antibodies against multiple vaccines at seven and 15 months. Of the babies, 111 were exposed to antibiotics in the newborn period – either through direct treatment (32 newborns), or indirectly through mothers who took antibiotics during labour (49) or the first six weeks postpartum (30). The study, published in the journal Nature, assessed the infants' microbiomes around the time of their first routine vaccinations at six weeks. It found that the babies directly treated with antibiotics at birth had less of a group of beneficial gut bacteria known as Bifidobacterium. The reduction in Bifidobacterium was linked to lower antibody levels against multiple components of the pneumococcal vaccine, as well as Haemophilus influenzae type b, at both seven and 15 months. Prof David Lynn, a program director at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, who co-led the research, said Bifidobacterium was commonly found in the healthy infant gut in the first weeks of life. 'They are particularly well adapted to metabolising human milk oligosaccharides [a type of carbohydrate] in breastmilk, and so you'll see high rates of those bacteria in infants that are breastfed,' he said. Lynn, also a professor of systems immunology at Flinders University, said the bacteria gave the immune system 'an extra kick', priming it for an optimal antibody response to vaccines. 'What we think is probably most important is the composition of the microbiome around the time of vaccination,' he said. 'Antibiotics can disrupt the normal colonisation by bifidobacteria and allow other types of bacteria to colonise the intestine instead.' The research also studied immunity in germ-free mice, finding that antibody responses to the pneumococcal vaccine strongly depended on the presence of Bifidobacterium and improved when the mice were given a probiotic containing the bacteria. The study, involving researchers from 12 institutions across Australia, did not find reduced vaccine responses in babies whose mothers received antibiotics during labour, suggesting direct antibiotic treatment in newborns had a more persistent impact on the gut microbiome. Lynn said the study results should not 'unduly worry' parents of newborns treated with antibiotics. 'There's usually very good reason for giving the neonates those antibiotics, given that infections and sepsis in that critical early life period can be very serious.' The antibiotic-treated newborns still mounted 'pretty decent responses to all of the vaccines,' he said. 'Around that seven-month time point, most of the infants are above what's called the seroprotective threshold, so they will be expected to be protected against infection.' 'What does seem to happen is that, over time, those responses wane a bit quicker in the infants that directly have antibiotics.' The study had a 'relatively modest' sample size, the authors noted, and did not include babies who had been born via Caesarean section. In the coming months, the researchers will commence a clinical trial to test whether giving antibiotic-treated newborns a probiotic containing Bifidobacterium would improve antibody responses to routine vaccinations. The probiotic is safe and already widely used in hospitals to protect preterm infants against a condition called necrotising enterocolitis.
