'We will hunt down the hare coursers'
POLICE are cracking down on hare coursers in a special operation.
The onset of autumn brings with it the season for the blood sport that is prevalent in rural parts of Lincolnshire.
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PLEDGE: PC Nick Willey has vowed to crack down on hare coursing, inset.
Last year saw a rise in arrests, along with vehicles and cash seized, and police say people travel from all over the country to illegally hunt hares with dogs.
Large amounts of money change hands as bets are made on the performance of the dog against the hares.
And not only are the defenceless animals often torn to shreds, vehicles cause damage to private land.
Operation Galileo intends to put a stop to hare coursing and bring those involved to justice.
Going on intelligence gathered over the past couple of years, officers will target hotspots known to be used.
Force-wide wildlife and rural crime officer Nick Willey said: "It's usually groups of four or five, you generally get a car-load. They still try to say they are looking for rabbits, which is not illegal, but you don't need long dogs like greyhounds and lurchers for that.
"You can see on YouTube these people film each other and the dogs chasing the hares.
"A lot of it is to test the agility of the dogs. When they catch the hare, they rip it up because it's their instinct."
For the past couple of years, Lincolnshire Police have allocated dedicated patrols to address the problem.
Because of the recent warm weather, there has not been a spike in cases, but it is expected there will be an influx of hare coursers in the coming weeks and months.
Mr Willey added: "We rely heavily on members of the public, farmers and gamekeepers ringing in.
"It's frustrating for land owners and communities to be subjected to them going across fields with dogs. It's antisocial behaviour and we are not prepared to tolerate it.
"We are using the resources we have got to combat it, but it's such a vast county that we could attend an incident in Sleaford and then get a call about something in Boston."
If anyone sees suspected hare coursers, they should try to note specific details, preferably vehicle registration numbers.
If only make/model/colour details and direction of travel are obtained, this can be useful in tracking the route of hare coursers across the county and may even assist in taking retrospective action against subsequently identified offenders.
Details of numbers of people involved and what they are wearing, as well as numbers of dogs, can also be used to build an intelligence picture to help direct the police response.
Call Lincolnshire Police on 0300 1110300, quoting Operation Galileo.
12 Comments
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by MissLogical
Wednesday, November 02 2011, 7:34PM
“Hare coursing, badger baiting and all the other similar activities are appalling. Many years ago a link was established between animal cruelty and psychopathic behaviour. If you, dear reader, can't bring yourself to care for animals can you not at least see the slippery slope ahead where the coursers/baiters/hunters frequently display voilent behaviour and probably beat their wives & children? This is illegal and will probably unearth a number of other illegal activities, just like the link between people disregarding seemingly trivial motoring laws are often found to fall foul of many other laws too. They think they can do what they want and I for one am glad the police are out there trying to catch them. I just wish we could chase the cruel so and so's and rip them to shreds after a terrifying run.”
by HALLYT
Wednesday, November 02 2011, 11:54AM
“Yes scrag that was my immediate thought too! 4 barnsley men in a car with 4 dogs dogs, - not your average thing.”
by grizzlyoldman
Monday, October 31 2011, 6:36PM
“What a pity only one of them was injured”
by scrag_1
Monday, October 31 2011, 6:11PM
“@ Zimme.
At the end of the day, if it's muggers, robbers, junkies, harecoursers, rapists or badger baiters, they are committing an offence and must be dealt with accordingly. I, as a taxpayer, are quite happy for such perpertators/law breakers to be brought to justice.
Incidentally, today's Telegraph 31/10/2011 brings news of an accident at Limber Hill involving a Subaru Impreza at 3am carrying four men, with four dogs from the Barnsley area. Now I hope the Police are going to probe this further as it is more than certain they were after badgers. We don't want, as a civilised democracy, your so called sport, carried out by a sick minded minority,”
by HALLYT
Wednesday, October 12 2011, 11:55AM
“I agree with you 'scrag_1 100%.' Perhaps the farmers should start 'accidentally' shooting some of these evil scum trespassing on their land.....I know I definitely would. and 'banned' is right when he says that the law is not enforced. .”
by HALLYT
Wednesday, October 12 2011, 11:48AM
“I agree with you 'scrag_1 100%.' Perhaps the farmers should start 'accidentally' shooting some of these evil scum trespassing on their land.....I know I definitely would. and 'banned' is right when he says that the law is not enforced. .”
by zimme
Tuesday, October 11 2011, 11:07PM
“what a joke this is ........ costing millions of pounds of our tax money . cops cars helicopters fuel thousands and thousands of man hours that we all pay for at the end of the day. police should be doing real police work catching real crooks muggers rapists pedophiles armed robbers house breaking junkies . what a waste of time resources and money . the country is on its **** and this is how they spend the cash the money could be better spent to help the economy. what a waste”
by scrag_1
Tuesday, October 11 2011, 6:14PM
“The activity of hare coursing, surely has to be one of the sickest forms of 'entertainment' carried out by a mindless, callous minority.
All to often, the pro-bloodsport lobby will put forward the argument that it is a form of 'pest control' and yet hares are driven into nets, captured and transported to coursing events.
Now my argument is this...If, the hare is deemed to be a 'pest' and therefore 'pest control', sorry coursing, is to be carried out, then why has the hare been already captured, transported and released again in the path of waiting hounds to provide a so called 'sport' ? The argument simply just does not add up. As with the usual shuffling excuses offered by bloodsport enthusiasts, they are hollow and transparent and usually fall flat at the first hurdle.
I applaud the stance taken by the Police in cracking down on such a barbaric practice.”
by vikti
Tuesday, October 11 2011, 4:17PM
“If the police really try and have the sense to use unmarked vehicles it shouldn't be difficult to catch these people. Anyone who travels around the county at night can spot them a mile away, the badger baiters too.”
by johnjohnson11
Tuesday, October 11 2011, 3:38PM
“Police spend £600k on hire cars in a year!! (column on the right)
says it all really , bent as a nine bob note !!
wildlife officer ,,, jobs for the boys .
stop wasting our money on this rubbish and go after some real criminals , whats more important catching a granny robbing druggy or a man chasing a hare with a dog . get real . half of the information in this propaganda is lies , people can look on you tube themselves and see the act . so why do the police make up rubbish?, only to look stupid or just plain liars?
"the defenceless animals often torn to shreds" evidence?
" they rip it up because it's their instinct."evidence?
"They still try to say they are looking for rabbits, which is not illegal, but you don't need long dogs like greyhounds and lurchers for that"what dog would you use then ? labradors , yorkies??
these are quotes from a wildlife officer who is supposed to know what hes talking about!
utter tosh”