Illegal gin traps which cause pain and suffering to wild animals have been found in the Norfolk countryside - and police warned they carry heavy penalties if used.

Officers have recovered three of the devices in the last five months - from Potter Heigham in March, Clenchwarton in June, and off Drayton Road in Norwich in July. One was found with a magpie caught in it.

The archaic spring-loaded traps have been banned in the UK since 1958, as they do not always kill animals humanely, but instead painfully trap and maim them.

Norfolk rural crime officer PC Chris Shelley said it is not illegal to own gin traps, and the relics are often seen hanging on farm barns as decorations.

But once a trap is set, it becomes an offence under the Pests Act 1954, with fines up to £1,000 - while if it causes suffering to a trapped animal it falls under the Animal Welfare Act which, in the most serious cases, carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

"You would assume someone is maybe trying to catch rabbits or rats, but it is a bizarre way to do it, if you ask me," said PC Shelley. "They have not been a recognised trap for many years.

"The approved traps should kill instantly or humanely, but a gin trap is not capable of killing a target quickly.

"They trap a leg or a part of the body, and then the animal suffers. That is why they were banned such a long time ago."

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PC Shelley said investigations are ongoing into who may have set the traps.

"More often than not, people don't realise these traps are not allowed to be used," he said.

"Maybe they have found one hanging in grandad's shed and thought they could use it near their carrots, not realising they are not approved for use."

Anyone who finds a gin trap is advised not to remove or touch it, take a photograph if possible and record the exact location using the What3Words app, and email full details to OperationRandall@norfolk.police.uk.