A farm contractor has been attacked by a "notorious" group of hare coursers armed with hammers and a baseball bat in Essex.
It has been reported in The Gazette that the contractor was attacked by four men armed with the tools, while he worked on a farm in north Essex.
He said he believes the gang are involved in hare coursing, and that they are becoming "notorious" in the north Essex area.
The farm contractor warned others to avoid conflict with them at all costs.
The hare coursers drive around in a dark green Subaru Forester and have been seen "everywhere". The police are aware of the situation.
“They do what they want, they don’t seem to care," the farm contractor told the newspaper, who remained anonymous.
Rise in hare coursing
Hare coursing has increased steadily in recent years. Cambridgeshire, one of the worst counties affected, reported nearly a 40% rise in reported incidents from 1184 cases in 2016 to 1634 in 2017.
It follows news that more than 300 incidents of hare coursing has been recorded in the space of one month in Lincolnshire, severely impacting local farmers and their livelihoods.
The rise in hare coursing has increased efforts to rid the countryside of it, as 31 police forces join farmers in stamping the practice out.
The police forces, representing over 90% of forces facing issues with hare coursing in England and Wales, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have joined the NFU to highlight the illegal activity.
Looking out
Farmers and landowners can help fight hare coursing by looking out for activity in the area.
The most obvious sign is groups of vehicles parked in a rural area, perhaps by a gateway to farmland, on a grass verge, on a farm track or bridle path.
They will usually be estate cars, four wheel drives or vans. It will be obvious looking inside whether there is evidence of dogs or not.
They often travel in convoy, with vans at the front and rear containing ‘minders’, and will often use binoculars to spot hares.
Coursers will often walk along the edge of a field to frighten a hare into the open.
Anyone with information about the assault in Essex, which took place at 3.45pm on Monday, January 15, is asked to contact Essex Police on 101 or alternatively Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
