Have your say on hare coursing penalties

Hare coursers could face stiffer sentences and bigger fines following a consultation to clamp down on the criminal gangs at the heart of the problem.

The Sentencing Council consultation on court guidelines when dealing with hare coursing offences follows a campaign by the NFU – and countless incidents across the region.

NFU Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire chair Freya Morgan met representatives from 30 police forces and 10 partner agencies at the Operation Galileo Hare Coursing Enforcers Conference – hosted last month  by Leicestershire Police and the Hare Preservation Trust.

More to be done

“There has been some good progress, but more needs to be done,” said Mrs Morgan, who discribed the consultation as a step forward. “We need to more arrests and more convictions.

“There needs to be a better understanding of hare coursing and its impact across the whole criminal justice system, including all police officers, not just in the rural crime teams, as well as with police call handlers and magistrates.”

Mrs Morgan spent around £12,000 on increased security to protect her north Bedfordshire farm in 2020. This included erecting about 50 lockable gates, installing a £4,000 electric entrance gate and digging ditches around the farm to limit vehicle access.

“This has made a difference, but the problems are still there. We were hit by hare coursing again in December and we have seen in the news recently that hare coursing continues to be a major problem for many people.”

‘Barbaric’

Other hare coursing incidents have made national headlines. Last month, five people were arrested on suspicion of hare coursing after the car they were in crashed into a ditch near Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

They included three men and two teenagers. Lincolnshire Police said: “Hare coursing is barbaric and we will continue to arrest offenders, seize their dogs and cars and put them before the courts to halt their illegal activities.”

Another incident saw 4×4 vehicles racing across farmland in Cambridgeshire and causeing untold damge to crops.

The consultation runs until 25 April. It aims to ensure a consistent approach and cover four offences associated with hare coursing.

These include two introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 – trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.

To respond to the Sentencing Counil consultation, visit www.bit.ly/hare-coursing

Thieves target ag-chem stores

Criminal gangs are targeting agrochemical stores – and stealing significant quantities of plant protection products to sell to farmers.

As spring spraying programme gets under way, the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is warning farmers and growers to be wary if offered plant protection products for sale from unknown or suspicious sources.

High alert

Recent weeks have seen thieves cut through fencing and buildings at distributor stores in Bedfordshire and Norfolk. They gained access to storage units before stealing large quantities of agrochemicals.

The agri-supply trade association said crop protection and agronomy companies and farm businesses should be on high alert for the risk of further thefts in these areas as well as throughout the country.

They should also consider reviewing their security arrangements.

AIC head of crop protection and agronomy Hazel Doonan said: “In light of these thefts, businesses which store professional plant protection products may wish to check that own their security measures are sufficiently robust.

BASIS

“Farmers and growers are reminded to only purchase plant protection products from reputable suppliers. A professional supplier must employ a member of the BASIS professional register to give advice on professional usage.

“Using PPPs that are of unknown provenance can risk business reputation, the acceptance of end produce treated with the product, farm assurance status, and even prosecution.”

Farmers and agronomists suspicious of agro-chemical products offered for sale should contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) by emailing CRDEnforcement@hse.gov.uk immediately.