TWO men pictured on land in Hollins have protested their innocence after a police investigation began.

The Bury Times reported allegations that a man had been seen holding a gun and a dead rabbit on the land, off Hollins Lane.

A neighbour who took pictures of the men and a boy claimed they were stood on Hollins Vale Local Nature Reserve and Bury Council reported the incident to police.

The pictures were circulated at a meeting of Hollins Village Community Association at Hollins Social Club in Brook Lane, Hollins, on Tuesday evening.

A police community support officer was there so anyone who knew the names of those in the pictures could report them.

However, on Thursday, the two men, who have asked not to be named, came forward to say they were the men in the pictures.

They said they have done nothing wrong as the were not stood – or shooting – on the nature reserve and they had the permission from a farmer in Hollins Lane.

That farmer confirmed to the Bury Times that he had given for permission for the men to go onto the land.

He said: “That would be right. I sometimes let people onto the land just to keep the (number of) rabbits down.”

Bury Council, which reported the matter to police, has not yet commented after the new information came to light.

Greater Manchester Police has also not commented on where the new information leaves their handling of Bury Council's report of the incident.

Thursday's Bury Times article told how nature reserve neighbours had heard gunshots coming from the nature reserve in recent weeks and councillors expressed concern that animals could be endangered.