UK's wildlife crime unit wins late reprieve from closure

Specialist body tackling wildlife crime was set to close at the end of March but has been awarded four years' worth of funding

The UK's national wildlife crime unit (NWCU) has won a late reprieve from closure after the government announced new funding on Tuesday.

The specialist unit tackles wildlife crime from the killing of birds of prey and poaching of deer in the UK to the smuggling of endangered reptiles, birds and elephant ivory across the globe. It was set to close at the end of March, but environment minister Rory Stewart announced funding for four years in a statement to parliament.