Police have issued a warning about using snares following the death of a dog near North Walsham.
The dog died after becoming trapped in a legal snare in Ridlington which is thought to have been set in an illegal way.
The warning comes as the season for rearing and releasing game birds approaches.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 snares must only be set at sites likely to be used by a fox or rabbit, not where there is evidence of regular use by non-target species.
A self-locking snare - a wire loop that continues to tighten by a ratchet action as the animal struggles - is unlawful. A free-running snare, a wire loop that relaxes when the animal stops pulling, is lawful.
Wildlife Officer PC Stuart Doe of North Walsham Police Station said: 'I have recently been made aware of cases where snares used were legal, but they may have not been set in a legal way. The guidelines state they are for restraining rather than killing, and they must be checked in the morning and again in the evening.'
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