Hare coursing: Aerial tactics used to find suspects near Gribthorpe

A police helicopter and a National Police Air Service (NPAS) aeroplane were used to track hare coursing suspects

Three men have been arrested as part of a police operation targeting hare coursing in East Yorkshire.

The men were arrested on suspicion of hunting with dogs after being spotted near the village of Gribthorpe.

Humberside Police used a helicopter and a police aeroplane to track their movements before detaining them and seizing a VW Caddy van and three dogs.

The men have been released under investigation while police enquiries continue.

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Police seized a VW Caddy van during the operation north of Howden

Sgt Jenna Jones, who leads Humberside Police's rural task force, warned that not only was hare coursing "barbaric and illegal", but participants were also trespassing and breaching Covid-19 restrictions.

"We are continuing to receive reports each weekend of groups of people and dogs on private land across the East Riding," she said.

"These reports are invaluable to us as we are deployed to locate and challenge those responsible."

Following the arrests on Wednesday the force thanked members of Farm Watch, a community scheme designed to reduce rural crime, who also helped during the operation.