BBC Springwatch presenter naturalist Chris Packham, who is currently in Malta documenting the spring hunting season, was asked to go to the Police Headquarters to speak with the head of the Administrative Law Enforcement unit this afternoon.

He was held for some four and a half hours and was questioned over allegations of defamation and transgressing the Data Protection Act. Both charges stem from his nightly series of video diaries named ‘Malta – Massacre on Migration’ – aimed at raising awareness about the spring hunting season, which is being carried out with the assistance of BirdLife Malta.

Speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday just after his release at 9.15pm , Mr Packham explained that at one point he was read his rights and told that he would not be permitted to leave until he made a statement. Soon after a discussion took place outside the interrogation room, after which Mr Packham was asked to give a voluntary statement.  Although his legal advisor had informed him that he was under no such obligation, Mr Packham said he obliged willingly.

He stressed that throughout the lengthy interrogation the officers were courteous at all times and that there was no indication of intimidation.

Despite the ordeal, a somewhat frazzled and exhausted Mr Packham said that he was looking to take something positive away from it, and that was his impression that the ALE officers, although “looking to make an impression”, clearly want to work closer with ornithologists to stamp out illegal hunting for good.

The police had also arrested BirdLife Malta’s communications officer Rupert Masefield earlier this week after asking him to stop filming them – an act which does not appear to be in breach of any laws.

Mr Masefield was released without charges within a couple of hours, but he has since being investigated over the illegal possession of protected birds – BirdLife routinely takes injured birds to a veterinarian.