Police join forces to tackle hare coursing

Lincolnshire Police said hare coursers were not welcome in the county

Police forces have joined together to better respond to hare coursing across county boundaries.

Officers from Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire have met to launch Operation Galileo.

According to Lincolnshire Police, officers in the county have received 276 reports, arrested 33 people, seized 15 dogs and 14 vehicles in the past year.

Sgt Thomas Smith, from the Lincolnshire Police rural crime action team, said: "We remain committed to keeping people safe, protecting wildlife, and bringing offenders to justice."

Hare coursing is the illegal pursuit of hares by dogs, which are judged by how closely they can follow an animal as it tries to escape.

When trespassing is involved as part of the activity, it can lead to the disruption of crops and damage to farmers' land.

'Intimidation and violence'

The police initiative to tackle the illegal blood sport and associated rural crime was unveiled at Belvoir Castle, Grantham.

According to the police, it aimed to protect rural communities from "the stress and anxiety these offenders bring".

Sgt Smith said: "Hare coursing can cause thousands of pounds' worth of damage to land and crops, and landowners and farmers are often faced with unacceptable intimidation and violence."

Under Operation Galileo, the force’s rural crime action team is searching for hare coursers using marked and unmarked vehicles, motorbikes and drones.

Since 2022, officers have had the power to arrest people going equipped to carry out hare coursing.

Offenders can be banned from driving, and have their vehicles and dogs seized.

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