17 Apr 2026
Police have confirmed that the Crown Prosecution Service will not be prosecuting anyone over the destruction of three Peregrine falcon eggs at St Albans Cathedral.
According to posts on the Cathedral’s Facebook page on April 7, a man was seen walking over the eggs and crushing them.
Herts police worked with partners at St Albans Cathedral and the National Wildlife Crime Unit to look into the incident, and officers from the Rural Operational Support Team spoke to a man to assist with their enquiries.
A statement said: “An investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary into the incident at the peregrine nest in April 2025 has now concluded.
“In an update provided on April 15 [we] confirmed that after a lengthy investigation, the CPS has concluded no prosecution will follow.
“Measures introduced following the incident remain in place to support the safety and wellbeing of the peregrines.”
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson added: “We recognise this was a distressing incident, particularly for Cathedral staff and members of the public who witnessed the destruction of the Peregrine falcons’ eggs via a livestream.
“Our prosecutors worked with police to establish the circumstances and, after carefully reviewing the evidence, we determined that it did not meet our legal test and no further action will be taken.”
A spokesperson for St Albans Cathedral said: “The Cathedral is disappointed with the CPS’ decision not to prosecute but is pleased that the matter was investigated fully and has now concluded.”
