Police seize vehicles in hare coursing swoop near Doncaster
Police swooped after men and dogs were spotted in a field
Police have seized two vehicles afterdisrupting a suspected hare coursing incident in a field near Doncaster.
Officers from Nottinghamshire Police were called shortly after 8am on Sunday after men and dogs were spotted in a field near Blyth, along with a stranded vehicle.
A force spokesperson said: “Officers from the new Neighbourhood Rural Crime Team travelled to the scene immediately and soon found the two vehicles: a Vauxhall stuck in the mud and a Toyota Land Cruiser that had been abandoned.
“Both vehicles were seized, and the driver of a third vehicle was reported for driving offences following an incident on roads in and around Blyth.
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“The driver of a fourth vehicle, meanwhile, was also served with a Community Protection Warning covering five regional police force areas after hare coursing equipment was found inside.
“The order formally links him to wildlife crime offences and gives officers additional powers to arrest him and seize items in the future.”
PC Hollie Marsh, one of four members of the new team, said: "Hare coursing isn't just an animal welfare issue.
“It also causes significant harm and distress to our farmers, who have their crops damaged and livestock put at risk.
"It is also an activity linked to violent organised criminal gangs, who use the suffering of animals to make money through gambling.
"That is why we take reports of this nature so seriously and why we responded as we did in this case.
"As far as we know, no hares were harmed on this occasion, but it was certainly a very expensive and inconvenient morning for the people involved."