A CHILDREN’s author has been taken to court for destroying bat roosts while renovating a home after being caught out by his own Instagram posts.
Jonathan Wedge was using his social media to document the transformation of the old church into a home.
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Wedge bought the Grade II Listed Church of St Thomas in the tiny Dorset village of East Orchard in 2022.
The father-of-four set about converting the derelict Gothic building into a family home and set up an Instagram account called churchofwedge.
But the 45-year-old got into trouble with one of his social media posts which showed he had carried out work without taking the proper steps to protect roosting bats.
The Church of St Thomas, 1859, was sitting in a state beyond disrepair for years before the family took it over.
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In their planning application, they wanted to save the listed building and make it as eco-friendly as possible with an air source heat pump and possibly solar panels.
They also stated they planned to have a small-holding with chickens, sheep and a pig, as well as bee-keeping, composting and rainwater collection.
Wedge is a former investment manager and has written a series of children’s mystery books based around a fictional boarding school called Winkton Abbey.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of damaging or destroying bat roosts – one for each different species of bat affected.
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The family told planners: “All in all, we believe our way of living will only ever benefit local and wider eco-systems and planetary concerns in regards to carbon footprint and CO2 emissions.”
The proposals were approved with conditions including a biodiversity plan that stated he needed to install a bat loft.
The structure had to be at least 21ft long, 18ft wide and 10ft high, with two “bat access tiles”.
It also said an exclusion method must be undertaken to ensure all the bats were out of the church prior to conversion starting.
This is a process that can only be undertaken between April and October so the bats are not in hibernation.
The couple shared their conversion journey on social media, but the court heard posts showed Mr Wedge started the work in December 2023.
Mr Wedge was ordered to pay a £1,200 fine and £500 compensation to the Bat Conservation Trust.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard that he had introduced bat lofts in 2024 and a recent ecological survey showed four different species are present.
Mr Wedge declined to comment on the matter.
All 18 UK bat species have the highest level of legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
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It is illegal to capture injure or kill them and to damage, destroy or obstruct access to roosts.
The offence can result in an unlimited fine or up to six months in prison.