A Further Statement relating to Historic Walls and Buildings at Dovecot
Farm, Pleasance, Falkland, relating to the period prior to February 2009.
In February (2009) witnessed by me, representatives of Mr R Mill, smashed the roofs off
the two sheds at Dovecot Farm. I think this was a deliberate act to destabilise the
structure of these two sheds and subsequent information came to light that there was a
more sinister reason behind doing so, to destroy bat roosts.
During the months and years before the roofs were smashed (from Spring to late
autumn), I often saw bats flying in and out of the buildings and through the hole in the
roof of the largest shed in the late evenings, generally before sunset. I believe that the
bats were roosting and hibernating in these buildings.
When the HFAG Group were made aware of the information relating to removal of the
roofs of the sheds and mentioning the bats, I felt obliged to report this information to
the Wildlife Crimes Officer for Fife Police (and has been allocated a STORM Reference
Number).
Despite taking this matter very seriously, the Procurator Fiscal does not think that, on
this occasion, there is sufficient evidence to take this matter to court, though the
Wildlife Crimes Officer feels that he should personally have a conversation with the
Directors of Lomond Homes to reinforce the seriousness of this incident.
This has confirmed to me my feelings about Lomond’s approach being very aggressive.
This approach is not only intimidating and disruptive to humans, but now it appears
protected animal habitats have also been destroyed.
Davina T Philp, BA(Hons), MSc
Member of Historic Falkland Action Group
Sunday 31st July 2011