Nine detained and ten dogs seized after hare coursing pursuits
Nine men have been detained and ten dogs seized across two separate suspected hare coursing incidents in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
Officers were first called on 11 February following reports of hare coursing across the south of Cambridgeshire.
Neighbourhood teams and the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) moved quickly to track down a black Mitsubishi Shogun believed to be involved.
Police followed the vehicle towards the A1198. When officers attempted to stop it, the driver sped off.
A stinger device was deployed, deflating three tyres. Despite the damage, the vehicle continued before finally coming to a stop in Fox Road, Bourn, shortly before 1.30pm.
Six men ran from the Shogun but five were detained soon afterwards. They have since been reported for alleged offences including making off without payment, failing to stop for police and dangerous driving.
The vehicle and five dogs found inside were seized on suspicion they had been used in criminal activity.
Hare coursing, which involves dogs chasing and killing hares, is illegal and has long been a concern for farmers and rural communities due to the damage and distress it can cause.
Sergeant Tom Nuttall, of RCAT, said: “Hare coursing is an illegal activity that causes significant suffering to wildlife and harms our rural communities. It will not be tolerated here in Cambridgeshire.
“We will continue to work closely with farmers, landowners and local residents to respond to reports and disrupt those intent on committing these offences.”
Two days later, officers in Suffolk dealt with a similar incident after reports of suspected coursing on private land in Westhorpe, near Stowmarket.
Police were alerted just before 12.30pm on Friday 13 February. A second call reported the suspects had left in a blue Jeep.
Enquiries established the vehicle was travelling along back roads before it was seen joining the westbound A14 at junction 47 near Elmswell.
Marked and unmarked patrol cars, supported by the National Police Air Service helicopter, converged on the area. Rolling road blocks were put in place in both directions between junctions 43 and 42.
The driver then attempted to evade officers by driving the wrong way along the A14 for a short distance.
The Jeep later stopped and its occupants fled on foot towards woodland near the Howard Estate in Bury St Edmunds. Officers pursued them and all four were apprehended.
The men, all aged in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and trespass and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
Two were also arrested on suspicion of failing to stop when directed and dangerous driving. Police confirmed the Jeep and five dogs were seized as part of the investigation.
Hare coursing remains a persistent problem for rural communities and is often linked to criminal damage, intimidation of landowners and wider organised criminal activity. Police forces across the region have identified it as a priority area for enforcement.
The latest incidents come amid increased action against wildlife crime, with officers recently disrupting more than 50 suspected poachers and hare coursers during a major weekend operation in Cambridgeshire involving drones, air support and roadblocks.
Two men have also been fined and banned for a decade after admitting hare coursing on farmland in Lincolnshire, as courts and police step up efforts to tackle rural and wildlife crime.
Police have said they will continue to use specialist resources and court orders to disrupt hare coursing, protect wildlife and reassure farming communities.
