Anger at £90,000 cost of ‘stoat dogs'

Orkney project to protect ground-nesting birds racked up £90,000 bill to buy six dogs and train handlers

The shocking cost of providing only six dogs to help control invasive stoats on the Orkney Islands has been revealed.

Shooting Times decided to investigate after a tip-off that the dogs were costing tens of thousands of pounds.

However, the cost turned out to be a staggering £90,000 — a figure described as ‘astonishing’ and ‘ridiculous’ by gamekeepers and terrier enthusiasts.