BBC star Chris Packham has been removed as patron of bird charity Raptor Rescue because he was not doing any work for the charity and was dividing their membership with his campaigns.

In addition to campaigning against countryside sports including shooting and hunting, Packham has launched attacks against the government for its policy regarding Net Zero and even suggested it was time to break the law to force climate action from politicians.

He’s also rallied behind controversial eco-protest groups Just Stop Oil, Animal Rising, and Extinction Rebellion and suggested that protesters could soon consider “blowing up an oil refinery”. 

Malcolm Robbins, Chairman of Raptor Rescue, has now spoken out about the charity’s decision to oust Packham from their books following his recent tirades.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said:

“In seeking to remain in the public spotlight, it is clear that Mr Packham is becoming ever more divisive and in so doing is alienating a section of the public.

“As a result many charities will find their relationship with Mr Packham to be a double-edged sword, with the negatives increasingly outweighing the positives.”

Currently, Packham is the chairman of the RSPCA and vice president of the RSPB, and holds roles at several smaller charities.

Feature image: Jo Garbutt, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons