Animal rights activists have complained after officials from the Wimbledon tennis tournament shot down pigeons, allegedly because they were an inconvenience to players. This move was possibly illegal under Animal Welfare Act 2006, which prevents using lethal force unless it is used as a last resort.
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Wikinews spoke to Bruce Friedrich, Vice President of PETA, which has campaigned against the move. He said that "killing animals so quickly and for such frivolous reasons is cruel, illegal, and won’t work."
Wikinews has also been told by Friedrich that "the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club should still be prosecuted for cruelty to animals, since they broke the law and should be held accountable."Violation of the Animal Welfare act carries a maximum sentence of "imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks" or a fine "not exceeding £20,000"
Wikinews has also been given a copy of the letter sent to Wimbledon officials. Below is the text of the first paragraph:
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (which runs the Wimbledon Championships) has not yet released a statement regarding the incident, although The Independent has reported that one will be made after the tournament.

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Wimbledon Officials receive criticism from animal rights group after shooting birds