A 26-year-old poacher has had his vehicle destroyed after he was convicted of participating in a wildlife crime in East Yorkshire.
On 5 December 2021, Mitchel Cannon was detained on suspicion of trespassing in search of game on land at Haisthorpe.
As a result of a prompt response from Humberside Police's Rural Task Force, on 23 March Mr Cannon pleaded guilty to the offence.
Following his appearance, he was fined £300 and ordered to pay an additional £119 in surcharges and costs.
His vehicle used during the poaching crime was also granted destruction.
Rural Task Force Officer Kevin Jones said the sentencing "sends a very clear message" to poachers and hare coursers.
“This has been a fantastic result thanks to some really proactive teamwork in tackling wildlife crime," Mr Jones said.
“We will take action on every occasion and will look at utilising all the available legislation to prevent, deter and prosecute those who decide to engage in criminality around our countryside.
“Wherever we have the evidence we will prosecute offenders and we welcome the help of our rural communities in letting us know of incidents in their area."
Over the past few months, the Rural Task Force has ramped up its efforts to tackle poaching and hare coursing incidents across the Humberside region.
It is one of 30 forces in the UK that supports ‘Operation Galileo’, which aims to deter and prevent rural crime, specifically hare coursing.
Humberside Police said these incidents were 'reducing year on year' in the area because of the action taken.
Sergeant Jenna Jones from the force's Rural Task Force said: "They know they‘ll be dealt with robustly if they are suspected of committing offences such as hare coursing or ‘lamping’.
“The fields in our region remain bare while the crops begin to grow again and attract travelling criminals to set dogs onto hares for sport.
"It’s truly barbaric and the wildlife it targets stand no chance of mercy."
