Prince Harry has been questioned by police after two legally-protected birds of prey were shot dead on the Royal Family’s Sandringham estate last week.

Police were apparently told by the Prince of Wales’s staff that the Prince and a friend were the only people known to be shooting in the area last Wednesday when the two hen harriers were killed.

Clarence House last night confirmed that the Prince had been spoken to but said he had no knowledge of the alleged incident.

Any involvement would be a severe embarrassment for the Prince, given the birds’ protected status. There are estimated to be only 20 breeding pairs in England, and the Queen is a patron of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Under wildlife protection legislation, shooting a hen harrier can carry a prison sentence of up to six months or a £5,000 fine.

The RSPB said last night it was shocked to hear of the allegations.

The incident, close to Dersingham Bog nature reserve on the edge of the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, was witnessed by a staff member of Natural England, the Government’s conservation agency, and two members of the public.

A spokesman for Natural England said the witnesses had been “watching the birds, saw them in the air, heard a shot and saw one of them fall and heard another shot and saw that one fall”.

Hen harriers are seen by gamekeepers as enemies because they feed on game birds. Graham Madge, an RSPB spokesman, said: “The hen harrier is arguably England’s most persecuted bird of prey. We believe the routine illegal killing of this magnificent bird is the principal reason for its scarcity. Currently there are only 20 nesting pairs of hen harrier in England. We should have suitable habitat for a population ten times larger in England.

“The alleged killing of two hen harriers at Sandringham is a bitter disappointment to efforts to conserve this species in the UK.”

Norfolk Police refused to comment on the investigation but appealed for witnesses to the alleged shooting.

Clarence House confirmed that the Prince had spoken to police as part of the investigation. A spokesman added: “Because Prince Harry and a friend were both in the area at the time, the police have been in contact with them and asked them if they have any information that could help. Unfortunately, they have no knowledge of the alleged incident.”

According to reports last night, the Prince had been shooting on the estate with a friend, a member of the Van Cutsem family. Hugh van Cutsem owns a nearby estate and his son, Edward, is a godson of the Prince of Wales.

Prince Harry has been involved in controversy on several occasions. In July 2001 it was reported that while studying at Eton, aged 17, he had taken to drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis at a nearby pub.

In October 2004 he was on the front pages again when he emerged from a West End nightclub and lunged at a photographer. However, since then he has been raised in the public’s estimation with his attendance at Sandhurst Military Academy and blossoming friendship with Chelsy Davy.

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