Hare coursing incidents in Norfolk show sharp fall

New figures show just 34 calls were received about the illegal bloodsport last winter.

That compares with 71 reports in 2021/22,  126 in 2020/21 and 301 in 2019/20.

Rural crime office PC Chris Shelley said new powers and new ways of working were bringing bloodsporters to bay.

Police across the region work together under the banner of Operation Galileo.

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"We're working with all of the seven eastern region forces," said PC Shelley.

"If they get a warning in Norfolk and breach it in Essex, they get a notice.

"If they breach that notice, it's a court summons. We'll seek criminal behaviour orders not to keep dogs, not to drive, not to be on land that doesn't belong to them."

Officers launch a drone whilst pursuing hare coursers (Image: Chris Bishop)

PC Shelley said technology such as drones had helped to gather evidence for prosecutions.

A new offence of going equipped to hare course, which came into force in 2022, is a game-changer for officers.

"We can intercept these people coming into the county before they even commit an offence," said PC Shelley.

"Changes in legislation, changes in the way we work and changes in technology mean we can stop this criminal behaviour before it even gets into the fields."

Hare coursing was banned by the 2004 Hunting Act (Image: |Michael Hall/EADT)

Coursing was banned by the 2004 Hunting Act. But gangs continued to take part in the illegal bloodsport.

Large sums of money are often bet on courses, where dogs are awarded points for turning the hare or killing it.

The Fens of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire provide ideal terrain, with flat fields giving dogs a clear view of their quarry.

Now anyone caught not only faces losing their dogs, but having to foot the bill for kennelling them between arrest and conviction.