Pensioner's anger at wildlife poisoners who killed her dog

Pamela Rowe, 69, lost her pet in March after Terrance Webb, 28, and Mark Page, 35, baited pieces of bread with a deadly insecticide so they could "watch crows die" around Alexandra Lake on Wanstead Flats.

Almost 90 wild birds and Mrs Rowe's German shepherd setter cross, Russett, her companion for five years, died in the "prank".

Webb, and Page, who had been overheard by colleagues bragging about the birds they had killed and how they would return the next day, were sentenced to four months in prison yesterday and fined £7,000.

Mrs Rowe, from Newham, said: "It's unbelievable, this wasn't ignorant teenagers but pest control officers." She was incensed to find out that one officer had a dog himself, and said that they could easily have poisoned a child.

She said that the actions of Webb and Page, since sacked by Newham council, left her "bereft".

She said: "I've lost someone I loved. They deserve their sentence, I would willingly serve a prison sentence if it could bring back Russett. It was heartbreaking to see him die in agonising convulsions."

The men stole the pesticide, called Ficam W, from their work, and sprinkled it during lunch breaks on March 8 and 9, Southwark crown court was told.

The two were arrested after Mrs Rowe alerted park wardens about 12 dead birds she had seen by the lake a day after Russett died. They were each charged with two counts of theft and two of using unauthorised poison. Judge Simon Wilkinson said: "I am satisfied that on March 8 you both saw birds fall out of the trees and you realised just how toxic this pesticide was.

"What passes belief is that you should return and do exactly the same thing."