Rural groups call for 'urgent reform' of hare coursing legislation

200-year-old legislation designed to combat hare coursing is now 'inadequate', rural groups say
200-year-old legislation designed to combat hare coursing is now 'inadequate', rural groups say

Hare coursing is having a 'huge impact' on rural communities and existing legislation designed to stamp it out is 'inadequate', farming groups say.

A coalition of leading rural organisations are seeking to amend the 1831 Game Act to give enhanced powers to the police and criminal justice system.

Alongside rural Police and Crime Commissioners, they are seeking to revise the 'inadequate' offence 'trespassing in pursuit of game’.

They are urging the government to support a change that would give police more powers to tackle coursing and deter criminals with a sentence that fits the crime.

The coalition say the Game Act is hindering attempts to tackle the 'devastating' impact of illegal hare coursing on the British countryside.

The coalition, which includes the NFU, CLA and Countryside Alliance, have now written a letter to Defra Secretary and the Home Office.

The letter asks for the police and courts to be given full seizure and forfeiture powers for dogs and vehicles, and for the removal of existing limits on the penalties that can be imposed, which is currently a maximum £1000 fine.

The coalition are seeking to give the police powers to recover kenneling costs from offenders, and for better information and guidance for magistrates and prosecutors for a more effective approach from the police.

Rural groups have applauded successful initiatives such as Operation Galileo, which has seen hare coursing incidents in Lincolnshire reduce from nearly 1579 in 2016/17 to 686 in 2018/19.

In a joint statement, the coalition said that hare coursing is as 'prevalent as ever' and having 'huge impacts' on rural communities.

"Whether it is farmers being intimidated and threatened by coursers, the damage their vehicles cause to our iconic landscape or the cruelty this inflicts on our native wildlife, the impacts on the British countryside from illegal hare coursing are huge," the groups said.

Despite success in some parts of the country, rural and farming communities are still seeing increased incidents of hare coursing overall.

“It is clear to us, our members and the police that relying on legislation that is nearly 200 years old is simply inadequate and in need of urgent reform," the coalition added.

“As a coalition, we will continue to raise this issue with government at the highest level and ensure they recognise the importance of tackling crime in rural communities up and down the country.”

It comes as two men were charged on Wednesday 4 March in connection with 16 hare coursing incidents in Angus over six months last year.

Police said the arrests were made following an "extensive" investigation in the region, according to BBC News.