Good afternoon Resident,

In continued efforts to deter hare coursing and poaching across Wiltshire, a farmer has been loaned a poacher block by Wiltshire Police to deter hare coursing from taking place on their land. This follows a donation by the Hare Preservation Trust of seven poacher blocks and a drone to prevent hare coursing from taking place and to support hare coursing investigations. 

Wiltshire Police own the poacher blocks and will loan them on a short-term basis to farmers across Wiltshire who have been hit the most by hare coursers illegally accessing their land. 

The farmer, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “We have had trouble with hare coursers in the past, who have all used this gateway to access the farm. There is now no other entrance for hare coursers to gain access to the farm so hopefully the poacher block will deter hare coursers from returning. Poacher blocks are a great tool, and I am hopeful it will put a stop to hare coursing on my land.”

Poacher blocks are concrete blocks designed to be stored in gateways and entrance access points to private land. The unique shape of the poacher block enables farm machinery such as tractors to drive over the top of them, providing minimal disruption to farmers. The poacher blocks prevent regular cars and 4x4 vehicles from accessing the land due to their shape, which therefore disrupts individuals from carrying out hare coursing.

Chief Inspector James Brain, the Tactical Lead for Rural Crime at Wiltshire Police, said: “Tackling hare coursing and poaching is one of the Chief Constable’s priorities for rural crime, and officers across the Force remain absolutely committed to tackling hare coursing and poaching. We are grateful to the Hare Preservation Trust for donating such valuable resources for us to be able to loan to our farming communities. We are hopeful that the seven new poacher blocks will support the most vulnerable victims of hare coursing to protect their property and prevent further destruction by hare coursers.”

Chief Inspector Brain continued: “Our teams have made significant progress in disrupting hare coursing incidents and bringing offenders to justice. Since September, Wiltshire Police have made eleven arrests and seized eleven vehicles. In addition, Section 35 dispersal orders have been issued to nine individuals, which bans those individuals from being in a specific location for up to 48 hours.”

Click here to read the full story on the Wiltshire Police website.