A Sheppey wildlife photographer says “irresponsible” snappers are to a blame for a spate of dead and injured barn owls.

Phil Haynes said at least seven birds had been discovered at an undisclosed Island location in recent weeks.

He said powerful camera lights used by photographers to capture the owls in flight at night were blinding the creatures, causing them to collide with fences, posts and telegraph poles.

“It’s despicable,” he said. “People have to have the interests of wildlife at heart.”

Mr Haynes, who lives in Eastchurch, said the stricken barn owls had been found in a field and by the roadside.

Some had damaged wings, while one was lying dead.

He said the latest discovery was on Monday when he took an injured bird to a wildlife rescue centre.

Mr Haynes did not want to disclose the damaged owls’ location as he didn’t want other snappers to stalk them.

“There’s nothing wrong with photographers taking a picture of an owl sitting on a fence,” he said.

“But it’s when we continually harass them for hours and hours, chasing them up and down the road and shining lights in their eyes, that it becomes a crime against wildlife as far as I’m concerned.”

It’s estimated a total of 8,000 barn owls exist in the UK, a figure Mr Haynes said “wasn’t great compared to other birds”.

He said he was “consulting” the Wildlife and Countryside Act to see what action, if any, could be taken against “irresponsible” photographers.

He added: “It’s totally immoral and causing real damage to our wildlife.”