Police chief 'sorry' for response to hare coursers

A number of vehicles were seen ditched around Manea in the Fens, including this one in Matthew Latta's farm

A police chief has apologised after dozens of 4x4 cars ran amok through farmland and fields as they chased hares.

Some 25 cars, reportedly driven by men in balaclavas, swept through Manea and surrounding villages in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

At a public meeting held in Manea on Monday afternoon, the county's chief constable, Nick Dean, apologised for what he said was a "failure by the police" to deal with the incident.

The villages of Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow, Littleport, Welney, Chatteris, Manea, Wimblington and Doddington were all affected by the hare coursers.

Some 300 people packed the British Legion hall in Manea to hear from Cambridgeshire Police about its response to hare coursers

District councillor Charlie Marks told the meeting: "We saw the village really taken over by idiots.

"We need action from police, we need quick, rapid response.

"Not (just) told we are aware of the incident and not seeing any police."

Local farmer Matthew Latta said he counted 70 people on his farm, and gates were broken by those gaining access.

"It was like the Wild West, chasing hares, tearing up crops, killing deer, killing hares," he said.

"I witnessed all of this going on literally outside my house. My family were terrified.

"It's just not acceptable."

He said he received "zero response" from the police, who he called repeatedly, an experience that left him feeling "vulnerable".

"It's destroyed my confidence in any policing of anything," said Mr Latta.

Councillor Charlie Marks said the village was "taken over by idiots"

In a police statement on Monday, local policing commander Supt Ben Martin said the force was "sorry we were unable to do more to stop the activities of these people at the time".

"Due to the scale of the incident and the multiple locations where offences took place, as well as a significantly demanding weekend elsewhere in the county, we didn't have the resources available to deal with every report we received from members of the public."

The meeting chairman, Conservative North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay, said the incident "was clearly co-ordinated" and that "lessons needed to be learnt".

He said the meeting revealed "wider concerns around rural policing" and the deployment of resources.

"What we heard today is that there were mistakes in the police response, the chief constable was open in accepting that.

"And there is also assurance moving forward that there would be changes in the resources allocated."

Local MP Steve Barclay chaired the meeting and said he was satisfied the police would learn lessons from the incident

Police and crime commissioner Daryl Preston said "the police should have done a better job" in tackling "the abhorrent criminality here".

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed a vehicle from the incident had been seized and hundreds of images would be examined to try and identify those involved.

On Monday two men were stopped for hare coursing in the Ramsey area, the force said, with one issued with a community protection notice, and the second a community protection warning. Both were dispersed from the county.

Police have appealed for witnesses and video footage.