A WILDLIFE activist has been accused of defeaning and frightening villagers by letting off crow scarer rockets at all times of the day.

Ray Puttock of Newnham House, Church Road, Newnham, has been reported to police after firing the explosive devices to deter ducks from flying across the Severn to land used by a shooting club.

One resident has compared the month-long aerial bombardment to living in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

It is so loud it can be heard a kilometre away, say villagers, and is frightening children, the elderly, pets, horses, livestock and wildlife.

They claim he has let the devices off early in the morning against National Farmers Union guidelines and in the dark after 8pm.

But Mr Puttock says he is not breaking the law and is saving wildlife from “genocide.”

Angry neighbours fed up with the onslaught have even taken to protesting outside his riverside village home, shouting at him to stop.

“The bangs are very loud, and while he claims to be helping ducks, he’s scaring dogs and other animals in Newnham, including horses, which have bolted from the noise,” said one neighbour, who didn’t want to be named.

“These crow scarers are designed to be used on isolated farms, not in villages right next to family homes. They are aerial ordinance and make a heck of a noise.

“The NFU says they should be limited to four an hour, but there have been more than that, and he’s letting them off just yards from the homes of families with young children.”

The villager added: “He’s launching them as early as 7.30am and as late as 8.40pm, and has done so in the dark.

“Children have been going to bed with their hands over their ears and people are worried for elderly residents, one of whom was startled by bangs right next to him.

“He’s letting off ordinance to scare crows, not to frighten off ducks flying towards guns. I’d say 90 per cent of the village are concerned by the impact of his actions.

“And while imposing his own views on a lawful activity, he’s actually upsetting animals on this side of the river.

“It’s been reported to the police, and it’s time the authorities put a stop to it. Last night there was another blast at 7.10pm, prompting a deluge of shouting outside his premises from residents fed up with his anti-social behaviour.

“There are children unable to get to sleep in bed and dogs quaking.”

But Mr Puttock, who is involved in the anti-badger cull campaign in Gloucestershire and anti-hunt protests, has defended himself on social media, telling Facebook critics he is saving the duck population from ‘genocide’ on the other bank of the Severn, with shooters firing their guns and waking him up from 5.30am.

He says: “They (the crow scarers) are only fired as a last resort to turn back entire flights (of ducks). It is lawful. A life of any sentient creature is important to me. If there was any other option I would take it.”

The Outpaced Wildlife Rescue member adds: “I dislike annoying anyone. But who else is doing anything? Apart from the genocide of all our ducks I will be woken by shotgun bangs tomorrow morning, often at dawn.”

“I regret any annoyance, truly, but I don’t regret turning these flights away from the guns,” he says in another post.

“Whoever reported me to the police… (answers on a postcard) is a coward. And pointless. I act on my beliefs… it is lawful to fire them. NFU guidelines are four an hour. I have shot a maximum of four an evening.”

But Toby Weeden posted in reply: “Your actions have massive impact and it is anti-social. Stop trying to make this about the ducks; it’s about your methods. I want to live in Newnham, not Helmand Province.”In another post, he added: “There are children trying to sleep and you really shouldn’t be doing this (at) 20.40pm.”“You’re holding to ransom those with children being put to bed, and startling countless nervous dogs,” he added.Pamela Elgar posted on October 1 that twice around 7pm in Church Road her 89-year-old father “was frightened by a whizzing noise and an extremely loud bang, as loud as he has ever heard, just a matter of feet above his head.“This sounds exteremly dangerous to me as it was heading to an upstairs window,” she added. Lesley Davies said her horses “nearly had a heart attack” and it was lucky the children weren’t on them at the time.Courtney Love-Weeden said her dog and four-year-old child were “petrified”, while her nine-year-old dog jumped into her arms. Mardy Fife told Mr Puttock people in the village had been “badly shaken up”, while Tracey Gwilliam said the sound like “gun shots” was “frightening my kids and my dog.”Lauren Phipps posted: “My four-month-old puppy was out walking along the river when it was set off and has been shaking ever since. My two cats were so frightened they have hidden under the bed and won’t come out.”Carol Smith said they could hear the bangs in Broadoak – “the dogs are frightened of it, it’s so loud.”Donna Sherwood’s daughter was “very scared” and had to be reassured it wasn’t right outside her window.“These shots are scaring children, animals and the elderly,” she added.