Police operation to tackle barbaric hare coursing

Specialist police officers are being deployed to search for hare courses who come into Lincolnshire as the season for the illegal, cruel sport gets underway.

The operation will be led by the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), which has specialist knowledge that has brought many hare coursers to justice over the last few years.

The response team also includes officers from Armed Policing, Roads Policing, the Dog Section and the Tactical Support Team. They will be using marked and unmarked cars, vans, drones, off-road vehicles and motorbikes to target criminals who commit crime in our rural communities.

Officers will be patrolling the county every day, acting on intelligence and any reported incidents as part of the cross-border Operation Galileo.

“Often offenders are part of organised crime groups who are also involved in other criminal activities, using hare coursing as scouting trips for other illegal activity. Hare coursing is the hobby of some of these groups; illegally gambling thousands of pounds on dogs catching and killing a hare,” said Inspector Chris Davis, from Specialist Operations.

Hare coursing is a centuries-old blood sport using two fast dogs to chase, catch and kill a hare. These greyhound, saluki and lurcher-type dogs are known as sighthounds as they chase the hares by sight rather than the scent of their prey.

The season starts after harvest in September when fields have been cleared of standing crops and usually occurs at dawn or dusk.  Offenders often travel great distances to Lincolnshire because of its flat, open farmland.

The illegal activity had been popular in the UK until 2005 when it was banned under the Hunting Act 2004.  It causes damage to crops, harms animal welfare and can be intimidating for rural communities. 

In the past hare coursers have walked a line across fields to flush out a hare for a chase, but thermal imaging scopes (pictured below) are used to locate the animals huddled resting in a field.   

Since new legislation was introduced in August 2022 police have seen a reduction in reported incidents across the county as they can now arrest hare coursers going equipped rather than only if active hare coursing in progress. 

During the 23-24 season 256 incidents were reported in the county and 13 people arrested for offences relating to hare coursing; 14 dogs and eight vehicles were seized during that period.

That’s in comparison to the same period the previous year when 33 people were arrested for hare coursing offences, 11 vehicles and 40 dogs were seized. 

“We believe that the new powers that came with the 2022 legislation meant that our strengthened ability to enforce deterred more hare coursers from coming to the county.”

During the last five years we have also seized:

• 126 dogs
• A firearm
• 51 phones
• 12 cameras/video recorders
• 11 pairs of binoculars
• 13 thermal imaging devices
• 4 knives or weapons

Insp Davis added: “No-one wants people coming onto their land, pursuing, and killing hares; it is simply barbaric.  The crime, violence and intimidation felt by farmers is unacceptable”.

“The rural crime team is passionate about reducing crime and as importantly the fear of crime in our rural communities. While our resources are deployed on Op Galileo patrols, they will be acting on intelligence, stopping vehicles which may flag interest on our intelligence systems, including ANPR, and attending reports of hare coursing or suspicious activity.

“We know offenders will film or live stream their activities for the purpose of illegal betting and thousands of pounds can change hands. This is why it is so detrimental to hare coursers to have their dogs seized. This is a cruel pastime that must stop.

“Today is about hare coursing but we have much to do to make sure our rural communities feel safe, wildlife is protected and criminals are brought to justice.

“Operation Galileo brings forces across the country to work together and use every available policing tactic to stop these offenders. By taking this approach we can get offenders banned from driving, seize their vehicles and their dogs, putting a halt to their illegal activities.”

A criminal prosecution earlier this month led to three men facing kennelling fees, fines and costs totalling more than £52,000, 10-year Criminal Behaviour Orders, driving bans, the loss of their equipment and the confiscation of four dogs (pictured), which were kennelled and then forfeited to find safe, new homes.

PC Chris Windsor-Beck, from the Rural Crime Action Team, said: “This sends out a clear message to anyone thinking of coming to Lincolnshire to carry out such a cruel activity such as hare coursing. We will simply will not accept this barbaric activity and anyone who comes to the county hare coursing can expect to face the full force of the law.”   

The public can play its part in fighting hare coursing by calling 999 during live incidents and reporting vehicle descriptions and number plates when possible. 

For anyone who sees anything they feel is suspicious and related to hare coursing, call 101.