Eight arrested on suspicion of hare coursing

Eight people have been arrested after a helicopter was used to track suspected hare coursers, Lincolnshire Police said.

Four men from Cambridgeshire, aged between 22 and 25, were arrested near Sleaford on Monday after reports of vehicles driving dangerously on the B1192 at Langrick, near Boston.

Four other people were also arrested on suspicion of hare coursing offences after an incident at Eastville, near Spilsby.

Police said five vehicles were also seized.

The force said it had received a number of reports of 4x4 vehicles gathering in fields, as well as reports of dangerous driving.

"We are now asking for anyone who has seen any potential incidents of hare coursing, dangerous driving or anything else suspicious in these areas to make contact with us," a spokesperson added.

Lincolnshire is one of the areas most frequently targeted by coursers due to its flat, rural landscape.

According to police, coursers are often engaged in illegal betting involving large sums of money and the dogs involved can also be worth thousands of pounds.

New measures to tackle hare coursing were introduced in 2022.

As well as an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison, convicted offenders can be stopped from owning or keeping dogs.

Trespass, or being equipped to trespass, with the intention of using a dog to search for a hare is also now a criminal offence.

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