TRAPPING and killing some species of birds and animals will help preserve Devon's hedgerows and wildlife, a landowner has claimed.

John-Michael Kennaway, who runs the Escot estate in East Devon, says members of the public need to be better educated about the ways in which songbirds can thrive and be more permissive about humane methods of controlling "the population of predators".

But animal welfare groups have expressed some concerns about his suggestions.

Mr Kennaway said: "When considering ways to improve the nest success of our song-birds, education of the general public is paramount.

"Trapping magpies can be controversial – misguided do-gooders release call birds from Larsen traps, proudly leaving sweet wrappers and drinks cans in their place.

"But people need to know about magpies' systematic hedgerow nest robbing routine, similar to the jay. They need to see crows carrying off live ducklings and even woodpeckers stealing eggs and fledglings, not to mention grey squirrels. If people had more knowledge it would help promote the survival of our songbirds and dormice. Equally it must be explained that if the blackbirds have a good year they will spread more blackberry seeds and brambles, which, if unchecked in our hedgerows, out-compete our wild flowers and more delicate plants, detrimental to the survival of songbirds.

"At Escot, we have a full-time education ranger who annually shows thousands of school children the circles of life, while also showing them how to skin and eat squirrels, rooks, pigeons and rabbits.

"The slipping away of joined-up country knowledge is as dangerous to the ecosystem as the loss of habitat or the control of just one species of predator."

Jo Barr, spokesman for the RSPCA in the South West, raised concerns over the use of Larsen traps.

She said: "Published scientific research has, to date, shown that magpies are not responsible for the decline that has taken place in some songbird populations. Every year the RSPCA receives hundreds of calls from the public concerned about the use of Larsen traps to capture wild birds during the magpie breeding season from April to June.

"Although such traps are legal, strict controls relate to their use and the birds that are caught must be humanely dispatched. If these controls are breached – and it is easy to do so – the trap setter loses the legal protection of a general licence for trapping and killing magpies and could face up to six months in prison and a £20,000 fine.

RSPB spokesman Tony Whitehead said: "We agree that education is important with regards to the wildlife and the countryside. And we strongly agree that we need to invest effort in saving our precious songbirds.

But we know from extensive work with farmers and landowners here in Devon that the key to reversing the declines of songbirds is through ensuring these birds have enough food through winter and summer and suitable places to nest.

"Get this right and songbirds are more than capable of dealing with predation – after all they've lived alongside magpies, crows, sparrowhawks and other predators quite happily for millennia. Here in Devon, with our help farmers have successfully reversed the near terminal decline of cirl buntings and there are now four times as many of them as there were 20 years ago – all without recourse to any predator control."