The badger cull is fueling hundreds of illegal wildlife crimes every year, charities have warned as they claimed the authorised slaughter is responsible for the trend.

Nearly 1,300 incidents involving wildlife were recorded in 2016 alone, a report has found.

The actual number of incidents is also likely to be "far greater" as the Home Office currently categorises many of the crimes as miscellaneous.

In 2016, there were 612 reports of incidents against badgers, 145 involving bats, 366 regarding marine mammals and 155 with birds of prey across England and Wales - 1,278 in total.

Dominic Dyer, CEO of the Badger Trust, said: "There is a correlation between the cull and wildlife crime in general and the numbers provided in the report are just the tip of the iceberg.

"The problem around the country is that people feel that they can use the badger cull as a legitimate excuse to commit wildlife crimes and take the law into their own hands.

"We have a growing problem with animals, particularly badgers and birds, being shot and there is growing concern that it is getting out of control."