North Yorkshire poaching incidents drop by nearly a third - report

Sentences have increased to up to six months in jail for poaching offences

The number of poaching incidents in North Yorkshire has dropped by almost a third in a year, a report has found.

Poaching crimes in the April-September "season" were 32% lower this year than the same period in 2021, according to Police and Crime Commissioner figures.

It comes after the government increased sentences to up to six months in jail for poaching offences.

The report is due to be scrutinised by the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel next week.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, 241 people received warning letters and 41 received Criminal Behaviour Warnings.

A further five Criminal Behaviour Notices, which act like an injunction, and a Criminal Behaviour Order have also been issued, alongside "proactive correspondence" to all those issued with notices and warnings to remind them of the conditions they must not breach.

The report, produced by the office of North Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, states that despite the fall in offences, poaching has remained the number one rural wildlife crime priority in North Yorkshire.

It said: "The impacts of poaching as a crime are vast and can include not only emotional distress, but damage to land and livelihoods."

It added that the cut in the number of recorded offences was a result of initiatives such as training on poaching becoming mandatory for all front-line officers and those staff working in the Force Control Room, additional drone capability for the Rural Taskforce and training more officers to use off-road motorcycles.

Members of the farming community said that while the force was focusing on poaching, concerns over thefts and speeding also needed more attention.