Children's author, 45, is prosecuted for destroying bat roosts during his renovation of Grade II-listed church after being caught out by his own Instagram posts

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 07:32 EDT, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 07:34 EDT, 8 September 2026 A children's author has been prosecuted for destroying bat roosts during his renovation of a Grade II-listed church after being caught out by his own Instagram posts. Jonathan Wedge, 45, documented his project to convert an old church on a public Instagram page. But the father-of-four 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. He pleaded guilty to four counts of damaging or destroying bat roosts – one for each different species of bat affected.Mr Wedge bought the Grade II-listed Church of St Thomas in the tiny Dorset village of East Orchard in 2022.He set about converting the derelict Victorian Gothic building into a family home himself and set up an Instagram account called churchofwedge but unknowingly posted his crimes online. He would regularly post updates to his nearly 16,000 followers about the mammoth building project. Mr Wedge is a former investment manager who quit the City to write children's books full-time in 2015. A children's author has been prosecuted for destroying bat roosts during his renovation of a Grade II-listed church after being caught out by his own Instagram posts The Grade II-listed church of St Thomas in the Dorset village of East OrchardHe has written a series of children’s mystery books based around a fictional boarding school Winkton Abbey. The Church of St Thomas was built in 1859 but had suffered from subsidence since the 1970s. It deteriorated further when the Diocese of Salisbury discontinued services in 2018.It was originally marketed for sale for commercial use but it failed to find a buyer until Mr Wedge and his partner Natasha Deeley bought it to convert into a home for their family.They said they planned to make it as eco-friendly as possible with an air source heat pump and possibly solar panels.They also wanted to keep a smallholding with chickens, sheep and a pig as well as beekeeping, composting and rainwater collection. The two 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 that meant Mr Wedge needed to install a bat loft at least 21ft long, 18ft wide and 10ft high and two ‘bat access tiles’ before he moved in.It also said an exclusion method must be undertaken to ensure all the bats were out of the church prior to conversion starting, a process that can only be undertaken between April and October so the bats are not in hibernation. Jonathan Wedge, 45, documented his project to convert an old church on a public Instagram page He set about converting the derelict Gothic building into a family home himself and set up an Instagram account called churchofwedge He would regularly post updates to his nearly 16,000 followers about the mammoth building projectBut Bournemouth Crown Court heard that Mr Wedge started the work in December 2023. After pleading guilty to destroying the roosts, Mr Wedge was ordered to pay a £1,200 fine and £500 compensation to the Bat Conservation Trust.The court heard that he had introduced bat lofts in 2024 and a recent ecological survey showed all four species – soprano pipistrelle, common pipistrelle, serotine and brown long-eared bats – were present in the loft. He could have been facing far heavier penalties if the bats had not returned. All 18 UK bat species have the highest level of legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.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.