Another week of freezing weather in England will trigger a ban on shooting waterfowl, Britain's biggest game shooting organisation said yesterday.

The British Association of Shooting and Conservation urged wildfowlers to show voluntary restraint immediately because the cold weather was putting some species under pressure.

BASC said in a statement: "Voluntary restraint in England and Wales should be applied where feeding or roosting is affected by snow and ice.

"Individuals should be on the look-out for unusual movements or behaviour of waterfowl which may be caused by the conditions."

Spokesman Simon Clarke added: "We would also call on other countryside users, such as dog-walkers, ramblers and bird-watchers to take care not to cause unnecessary disturbance to birds which may be struggling in the severe conditions."

Shooting quarry species of duck, geese and waders is a significant country sport on many marshes and estuaries in the Westcountry but less economically-important to the region than driven pheasant shooting, which would not be affected by any ban.

If the current conditions continue a ban on shooting wildfowl would come into force on December 9 in Northern Ireland, December 10 in Scotland and December 14 in England and Wales.

Statutory suspensions normally last for 14 days but would be reviewed after seven days and could be lifted if conditions have improved.

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