The Moorland Monitors today released an extraordinary statement on their website distancing themselves from the horrible criminal, Luke Steele.
The statement reads: "Note: Moorland Monitors have absolutely nothing to do with Luke Steele. Luke has caused nothing but trouble for MM and our volunteers, piggybacking our work for his own ends. Luke’s actions, values and attitudes have nothing to do with us and we are in no way associated with him."
The action was taking after outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia, investigated the organisation's links to the criminal Steele, having previously provided funding for their activities.
You can understand why such a strongly-worded statement would be released by the Moorland Monitors when their main source of funding was under threat because of their links to a hardened criminal.
The problem with the Moorland Monitors' statement is that it is just not true – as we know Luke Steele remains, along with Bob Berzins, an integral part of the organisation.
Steele's own Twitterfeed is full of Tweets proudly boasting of the work "our Moorland Monitors" - note the possessive pronoun - have carried out. Here is just one example, but there are many more.
Furthermore, as if you needed any greater proof of the connection, take a look at the 'North York Moors Moorland Monitors' Twitter page. It also carries a direct link to Luke Steele's other organisation 'Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire's Moors'. How can they possibly claim to have no link with Luke Steele?
But clearly the connection with Luke Steele has been simmering within the Moorland Monitors for some time because when the Moorland Monitors were out on the North York Moors in November last year, they were questioned as to what they were doing by a local farmer.
Fortunately, not only did the local farmer recognise Luke Steele – probably from his many court appearances – but he also recorded the encounter.
Before he engaged with the Moorland Monitors, who were claiming to be "watching geese", a long lens picture was taken.
[Luke Steele, on the right of the 3 men, pictured with fellow Moorland Monitors in Nov 2020]
As soon as Luke Steele realises the farmer recognises him, he tries to hide behind the van, no doubt aware that his continued association with the Moorland Monitors would cause trouble for the organisation's funding from Patagonia.
Have a look at this video of the encounter when he is caught hiding on camera and the other Moorland Monitors try to deny his presence.
But it is not just the Moorland Monitors who remain close to Luke Steele, is it? You only need to look at this photo of the 'tubby-troll-in-chief', Mark Avery, and the RSPB's Operation Director Jeff Knott, to see how close the extreme activist fraternity really are. Luke Steele also regularly corresponds on Twitter with the RSPB's public affairs chief, Adam Barnett, which says a lot about how the RSPB fuel the activist extremism we see on the ground.
I wonder how sympathetic Patagonia will be to these latest revelations when they realise the Moorland Monitors have tried to pull the wool over their eyes again, particularly when Patagonia knows how popular their clothing brand is with farm workers, gamekeepers and much of the rural community up and down the UK's countryside. We can particularly recommend their down jackets as reliable, comfortable and a reassuringly warm under a gore-tex top layer for a wet windy day on the moors.