A COMPETITION giving people the chance to name a rare hen harrier chick has been organised by Lush and the RSPB.

The cosmetics store launched a national petition in 2014 to stop what it claims has been the illegal persecution of the birds of prey in the uplands of England.

During the campaign, more than 20,000 postcards were signed by Lush customers, which were then delivered to Buckingham Palace.

The company then invented a brand new product to raise funds for the RSPB’s Hen Harrier LIFE project, which involved the charity satellite tagging Hen Harrier chicks across the country.

A total of £120,000 was raised from the sale of the Skydance – Far From the Madding Guns bath bomb.

The RSPB claims hen harriers are being deliberately targeted in order to increase the numbers of grouse available for shoots.

The #NameAndSave competition runs until midday on August 11, 2016. Entrants must think of a name which they feel encapsulates the magnificent bird then submitting their idea here.

The winning name will be picked by TV presenter and environmental campaigner Chris Packham who has been in the news recently after threats were made to him following his plea to people to support a ban on grouse hunting.

The BBC is facing calls from pro-hunting campaigners to sack the presenter.

The Countryside Alliance, which lobbies to promote the interests of rural people and communities, made an official complaint against Chris when he referred to those involved in hunting and shooting as ”the nasty brigade” in an article in last October’s BBC Wildlife magazine.

The winning chick name will be officially announced on The Glorious Twelfth (August 12) – the official opening of the grouse shooting season.

As well as having their entry chosen as the official name of one of this year’s chicks, the winner will also receive a picture of the hen harrier and a signed copy of Chris Packham’s new book – Fingers in the Sparkle Jar.

Welsh naturalist and broadcaster Iolo Williams says he is “wholeheartedly behind the campaign to end bird of prey persecution in the UK, and particularly the massacre of hen harriers on our grouse moors.”

He was one of the invited speakers at the Hen Harrier Day held at RSPB’s Arne reserve on Sunday.