Springwatch fans left ‘broken and in tears’ as bird ‘battered to death with a stick’ in horrific scenes

SPRINGWATCH fans have been left 'broken and in tears' after a bird was 'battered to death with a stick' in horrific scenes.

The BBC nature show has featured the highs and lows of the natural world over the past two weeks.

But on Tuesday night's programme, it featured a harrowing report on raptor persecution and birds that are being illegally killed.

Frank Gardner headed to Norfolk to meet a group of people who were trying to hold those responsible to account, and at one point had to watch an upsetting video of a gamekeeper beating a buzzard to death with a stick.

The report also featured numerous shots of dead birds such as pheasants which had been illegally killed, and it proved for upsetting viewing for those at home.

Taking to Twitter, one Springwatch viewer wrote: "It was so hard to watch. Why did that evil little man get a suspended sentence when you had the vile little stain bang to rights?"

Another tweeted: "Awful, awful the suffering and pain I couldn’t watch."

A third added: "The footage is just horrific. I saw it a while back and it left me feeling broken, physically sick, in tears and helpless.

"But these things need to be seen, nothing comes from being silent about the wrongs in the world. Keep up the good work exposing these scum!"

Meanwhile a fourth shared: "Springwatch. I've literally just watched a man trap and beat a buzzard to death with a stick."

A fifth commented: "Springwatch are showing the amount of them being killed..Someone just battered a buzzard to death."

A fellow viewer raged: "That gamekeeper should have been jailed."

Springwatch continues tonight at 8pm on BBC Two.