Puffins are being hunted 100 at a time by trophy collectors who are allowed to bring the carcasses back to the UK, despite the government’s efforts to save the species.

Campaigners and MPs are calling on Theresa Villiers, the new environment secretary, to ban the import of puffin trophies and push the international wildlife trade body to give the charismatic bird stronger protection.

Websites offer grisly hunting trips for around £3,000, offering British people the chance to go to Iceland and kill a “bag” of puffins. The hunters boast of being able to shoot up to one hundred at a time.

The species was officially labelled “Endangered” in the 2018 “State of the World’s Birds” report. - but the birds are not listed for protection by CITES, the body regulating international animal trade.

This means they get no protection from over-hunting by CITES and there is no monitoring or official data for the number of puffin trophies taken.