Operation Snare steps up efforts to target illegal hare coursing Main article content

West Mercia Police is targeting the illegal and cruel practice of hare coursing as part of a new operation focused on tackling this activity that also harms our countryside.

Operation Snare is starting this National Rural Crime Action Week and will involve officers and staff from our rural crime teams working with the farming community and our partner agencies.

Hare coursing is a serious crime which is often associated with organised criminality. It causes severe animal welfare harm and has a wider impact on rural communities through trespass, damage to land and anti-social behaviour.

We will be working in partnership with farmers and agencies including the NFU and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust to step up efforts to target hare coursing now that harvests have taken place, which are earlier than normal this year due to the heatwaves that have hit the UK.

After harvest, fields become more open, making hares and deer easier to spot and therefore more vulnerable to coursing activity.

We are also asking farmers, landowners, and rural residents to remain extra vigilant and report any suspicious activity promptly to us to help combat these criminals.

Inspector Billy Keys of the Prevention Hub South said: “Hare coursing is a cruel and harmful activity that is particularly prevalent post-harvest in our countryside.

“West Mercia Police, working with farmers, rural communities and partners, is targeting those responsible in Operation Snare.

“We are also seeing more reports of organised offenders using off road vehicles to trespass on land, sometimes accompanied by damage to farms and intimidation to farmers.

“In addition to the criminal offences, we will be looking to use powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to seek Criminal Behaviour Orders against offenders and to seize vehicles being driven in an anti-social manner or used to commit hare coursing.

“We will be increasing patrols at key times and in key locations to achieve this, but the public can also help us by reporting any suspicious activity.”

Please report to us immediately if you see suspicious vehicles driving across farmland, groups with sighthounds, trespassers, damage to crops, or any evidence of criminal damage to gates, fences, and property via 101 or our website at westmercia.police.uk/report . Always call 999 in an emergency.

Inspector Keys added: “Please provide as much information as possible including details of vehicle registrations, vehicle descriptions, including make, model, and colour and the number of occupants.

“Information on the number of dogs involved and their breed are useful too, as well as the exact location of any activity, the direction of travel of the criminals.

“Photographs and video footage are useful too but please only take these if it safe to do so. Do not put yourself or others at risk and never approach, challenge or attempt to stop anyone involved. Call the police and let us investigate.”