Dogs are used to hunt badgers

It follows a new wildlife law in England and the growth there of badger protection groups.

The badger thieves arrive in the night, they use terriers with electronic tags to pinpoint the badgers in their sets and then dig down for them.

Illegal badger baiting clubs still exist - meeting in remote barns or pubs - and betting on makes it a lucrative business.

The charity Scottish Badgers has appealed for the public to report suspicious cars and movements to police.

The charity's John Darbyshire said: "They come to a set with dogs and a spade and the dogs are fitted with a radio collar.

"The dog goes down and barks at the badger and basically corners it, in a corner of the set, so that the badger can't move."

He added: "Using the radio signal they dig a vertical hole in the ground and expose the badger and the dog."

He said that the badger would then be bagged, transported to another area and put in a pit where it will fight against dogs to the death.

Mr Darbyshire said: "Recent undercover work by the RSPCA has found that a badger can fetch �1,000."

He added: "There is a perception that the legislation is weaker in Scotland at the moment, which it is for a lot of our wildlife and wildlife reserves."