| We are encouraging the public to do their part for rural communities and help tackle hare coursing. The hare coursing season typically starts in September when fields have been harvested, however the weather this year has meant many have already been cut and are now prime surfaces for the blood sport. Over the past year (April 2018 – March 2019) police were called to 1,265 incidents. In the past month (July) the force control room have received 34 calls to courses operating throughout east and south Cambridgeshire as well as Fenland. The figure is expected to rise over the coming months. In October last year four hare coursers were handed the Cambridgeshire’s first county court injunction, banning them from entering any farm land from July until March. The most obvious sign of hare coursing is a group of vehicles parked in a rural area with dogs, perhaps by a gateway to farmland or on a grass verge, and I would urge people to report any suspicions, no matter how insignificant it may seem. The appeal is part of our #SaferSummer campaign, which aims to prevent crime and keep people safe during the school holidays. Anyone who sees hare coursing taking place is asked to contact police immediately on 999 and provide officers with a description of the people involved, any registration numbers and vehicle descriptions and the location and direction of travel. If you have information about hare coursing and it’s not currently happening, or have been a victim of the crime, please call 101 or report online at www.cambs.police.uk/report. If a crime is in progress call 999. |
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