Arrests for hare-coursing offences up in Lincolnshire

Hare coursing was made illegal under the Hunting Act in 2004

Arrests for hare coursing in Lincolnshire have gone up since new laws were introduced, police have said.

Officers arrested 32 people during the hare coursing season, which ran from September 2022 to March - an increase of 400% compared to the previous year.

Lincolnshire Police also seized 40 dogs.

However, the number of incidents being reported overall fell to 573, compared to 570 in just one month the previous season.

Lincolnshire is one of the areas most frequently targeted by coursers due to its flat, rural areas.

Some of those involved in hare coursing claim it is a family tradition

Under measures introduced in August it became a criminal offence to trespass, or be equipped to trespass, with the intention of using a dog to search for a hare.

New powers meant police could stop and search vehicles, seize dogs and make arrests, and earlier this year, two men became the first to be charged under the new legislation.

Ch Insp Steve Williamson, force lead for rural crime, said the legislation and efforts of his team had made a big difference.

"This season has seen some really positive results and shows that we do not tolerate hare coursing in the county," he added.

Under the new legislation, anyone convicted can be stopped from owning or keeping dogs

Johanna Musson, National Farmers' Union county adviser for south Lincolnshire, said harsher sentences meant hare coursing could be better tackled.

"The message is simple - if you come here, you'll have your dogs, cars and equipment seized and receive a hefty fine."

What is hare coursing?

• Coursers will walk along a field to frighten the hare into the open

• The dog catches the hare and kills it by "ragging" it - shaking the animal in its teeth

• The dogs - usually greyhounds, lurchers or salukis - are on a slip lead, threaded so it can be easily released

• The hare is usually left in the field or thrown in a ditch

• Since 2005, hare coursing has been illegal in the UK. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt wild mammals with dogs

• Coursers are often engaged in illegal betting involving large sums of money and the dogs involved can also be worth thousands of pounds

Source: Lincolnshire Police