TWO men have been arrested in East London following the deaths of 80 birds and a dog at Wanstead Flats. They are being quizzed by this-afternoon by officers from the Met Police Wildlife crime unit investigating the incident

By Mike Brooke

TWO men have been arrested in East London following the deaths of 80 birds and a dog at Wanstead Flats.

They are being quizzed by this-afternoon (Tues) by officers from the Met Police Wildlife crime unit investigating the incident.

The men, aged 35 and 27, were arrested in Forest Gate nearby at 8am on suspicion of breaching pesticide control regulations and taken to an East London police.

Analysis by the Veterinary Laboratory Agency of samples taken from Wanstead Flats last week has not yet been completed. It is too early to confirm the cause of wildlife death, Scotland Yard said this-evening.

All the birds died in the area around Alexandra Lake near Aldersbrook Road. Officers are working with Natural England and City of London forest keepers in an attempt to establish the circumstances of the deaths.

The land around the lake remains cordoned off and dog walkers are being asked to keep their pets on a lead.

The dog that died was a five-year-old male German Shepherd cross, while several species of birds that were killed included geese, pigeons and coots.