Police were called to two separate incidents involving poachers and hare coursers
Rural crime officers in Cambridgeshire dispersed more than 50 poachers and hare coursers over the weekend. Police were called to farmland just off Haddon Road in Haddon on Saturday, January 17, with reports of men and children poaching and trespassing with dogs.
The group caused damage to fields and to road users’ vehicles. The National Police Air Service (NPAS) and the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) tracked the group as they moved through a wooded area opposite the A1(M).
Roads were blocked to contain the group. The group were detained and identified using fingerprint recognition technology.
Police seized several vehicles and items associated with poaching. A total of 40 individuals were dispered and will be investigated for multiple rural and wildlife offences including the issuing of Community Protection Warning and Notices.
On Sunday, January 18, police were called to fields on Main Drove, Little Downham, with reports of hare coursers in the area.
The men abandoned their vehicles and attempted to flee but were tracked by police drones and support from NPAS.
Four men were interviewed, dispersed from the county, and issued with Community Protection Warnings and Notices. Four lurcher-type dogs were seized.
Sergeant Tom Nuttall, from the RCAT, said: “Tackling poaching and hare coursing remains a priority for us as a force and we are committed to working closely with our partners and local communities to address these issues.
“Hare coursing and associated criminality including threats, criminal damage and even violence, can have a real impact on our rural communities. These activities not only harm wildlife and the environment but also cause distress to landowners and residents.
“We will continue to take action against those involved, utilising available resources and protecting Cambridgeshire’s countryside.”
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