Rob Milnes

Sometime competitive runner and quizzer. Finalist in Brain of Britain and 15 to 1. Fell climber who took six years to walk from Lands End to John O'Groats.

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

Clarion Housing destroyed an active swift colony by demolishing a building early, breaching the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Tell the Surrey Police crime commissioner to enforce the law 👉https://t.co/cZqGFTt3uc It’s #worldswiftday but no one gives a monkeys.

[🌻 Go Wild With Annette @writethewrongs2]

Wtf! This is heartbreaking and pure eco vandalism. We need to name and shame @Hill_Group_UK @MoleValleyDC and @SurreyPolice for this. 👇

A building that was a noted nesting site for swifts, among the UK’s most at-risk birds, has been demolished during the nesting season, highlighting significant weaknesses in the protection of wildlife from development, campaigners say.

Contractors for the housebuilder Hill Group carried out the demolition of Regent House near Dorking station in Surrey over the last few weeks, during the nesting season which runs from 1 March to 31 August.

Footage captured last week shows swifts attempting to return to nests in the building, which was known to be home to one of the largest populations of the birds in the Mole Valley area in Surrey. They approach and then repeatedly turn away because their nests are no longer there.

The building was a known habitat for nesting swifts. Volunteers for Swift Protection Association Reigate have recorded very intense low-level flying involving as many as 40 birds using about 20 sites in the eaves of the building in early spring and summer for several years.

Demolition and construction work are heavily restricted during the nesting season under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built, or to disturb dependent young.

Annie Griffin of Banstead Swifts, a volunteer group that monitors and tries to stabilise swift populations, said residents raised the alarm with Surrey police wildlife officers in early May, shortly after the swifts returned from migration and were observed nesting in the building. Mole Valley district council (MVDC) was also told about the birds’ presence.

Despite this, demolition proceeded during peak nesting season,” said Griffin. “Conservationists are now describing the incident as a significant wildlife crime, raising broader concerns about the enforcement of environmental protections during development across England.”

Regent House was demolished as part of a development of 126 flats by Clarion housing association. An impact assessment carried out for the developers by the Arbtech environmental consultancy said demolition and construction should take place outside the nesting season.

If a different timeframe could not be avoided, it said, an ecological expert would have to undertake a thorough inspection before the start of any work and all active nests would have to be retained until the young had fledged.

The Guardian asked Hill Group and Clarion if such an ecological inspection had taken place in the last few weeks, but they declined to answer. They also refused to say the timeframe for the demolition could not be avoided.

https://t.co/OcZuZguX6r

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

The news of Scotland mandating swift bricks has gone viral on various big mainstream accounts. If only everyone who liked the post below emailed Housing Secretary Steve Reed telling him to go back to his original support and mandate. Just like Scotland AND Gibraltar !

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

@ITV7Racing Minnie Hauk #ITV7InItToWinIt

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

@ITV7Racing Chelmsford City #ITV7InItToWinIt

[Katie Hopkins @KTHopkins]

On behalf of their client, Zara Sultana, Bindmans Media and Information Law Practise Group requires that I publish the following statement on X, and that such statement must be clearly visible and pinned to my
profile for a continuous period of no less than 24 hours:

“On 30 March 2026, I published a post on my X account addressed to Zarah Sultana in which I stated that she encourages and incites violence and is friends with terrorists.

Those statements are false. I was wrong and offer my sincere apologies to Ms Sultana for the harm and distress caused to her.”

It is my very great pleasure to do this, and I reiterate my sincere and repeated offer to meet with Miss Zara Sultana in person to resolve our differences.

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

@ITV7Racing East India Dock #ITV7InItToWinIt

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

For many years I have wanted to visit the village of Portmeirion in North Wales. I watched the television series "The Prisoner" which was filmed there and the setting and architecture fascinated me. I finally went last week and The Village lived up to my expectations. Beautiful.

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

Hi @wessexwater have you seen these photos and issue regarding swallows being blocked from their nesting site? @Stephen47629998 can you tell @wessexwater the address so there is no doubt. And @wessexwater could you remove the mesh so the swallows can get back home?

[Stephen Foster @Stephen47629998]

Disgusted to see that @wessexwater have blocked access for swallows to get to their nesting site at Tonedale water treatment works. The pair have bred there for at least the last 3 years.

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

Home after a lovely week on the Welsh coast. We were based in Barmouth and here are some photos of the area.

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

Home from a lovely holiday in Wales yesterday and was greeted by my first swifts.

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

@ITV7Racing Newmarket #ITV7InItToWinIt

[🌻 Go Wild With Annette @writethewrongs2]

Right, let's get this straight. @networkrail has still not put up SWIFT BOXES after deliberately filling in the holes where swifts nest!

This crime against nature took place near Chapel-en-le Frith (Derbyshire). The excuse given is that there were no evidence of swifts, hardly surprising considering they were not back from Africa but now they are!

Network Rail stated it would install swift boxes but as of now, none have been put up.

The question is when? NETWORK RAIL

Swifts return to the same sites year after year so it is vital these holes are reopened or official swift boxes are installed. The numbers of swifts are plummeting and they are on the UK's Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. We cant afford to let this go.

Please make your concerns known to Network Rail.

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

@ITV7Racing II Etait Temps #ITV7InItToWinIt

[Rob Milnes @RobMilnes_Notts]

@ITV7Racing Captain Cody #ITV7InItToWinIt

[Deborah Pitman @DeborahPitman]

Let's be clear @networkrail, #swifts cause no damage. They don't make their nest holes, they just find a crevice. They're a critically endangered urban nesting bird. Why have you blocked them out? #Arch3 #saveourswifts #unblockthenests @WriterHannahBT

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

#NetworkRail will you be cruel or be kind? It is so easy to be kind in this situation - you can unblock the homes that 6 swifts are currently flying thousands of miles back to. Please do email CEO Jeremy Westlake: [email protected] #SaveOurSwifts

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

Please help get this message to CEO of @networkrail Jeremy Westlake. Email him asking him to unblock the swift nesting sites in the chapel Milton viaduct, Derbyshire. His email is [email protected] @deborahpitman has been asking for ages but she’s been ignored

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

Swifts spark joy….. thrilled that swifts have more airtime in #TheGuardian this week as they start their return journeys HOME. https://t.co/iUMT0Ze1VY