Man arrested after alleged hare coursing incident in Wilton
Wiltshire Police responded after getting reports in from their Farm Watch group
Officers were called out to the Shaftesbury Drove area of Wilton on Sunday afternoon (17th January) after members of Farm Watch told them three men were believed to be illegally hare coursing.
When police arrived, they found a car and a search by a police dog located one man linked to the vehicle in a nearby wooded area, wearing camouflage clothing.
He was arrested and interviewed and has since been released under investigation.
Farm Watch is a scheme linking members of the public directly with police if they're concerned about rural crime in their local area.
In a separate incident earlier the same day (Sunday 17th January), Farm Watch members had reported possible hare coursing at Wexcombe, near Marlborough.
Officers stopped a Vauxhall Insignia with two men inside it, which was seized for having no insurance or tax.
A lurcher type dog, also in the car, was seized as well and is being looked by specialist dog foster carers.
The driver of the car was found to have an expired driving licence, while both men were given fixed penalty notices for breaching Covid-19 lockdown rules, for being away from home without a valid reason.
Enquiries are still ongoing into the illegal hare coursing reports.
Inspector Liz Coles, Force Lead for Rural Crime, said:
"Our message is clear, if we suspect anyone of hare coursing in Wiltshire, we will act and potentially seize their dogs.
"We are cracking down on hare coursing here in Wiltshire and our rural crime team are working closely with our local community policing teams to ensure we are able to respond quickly and effectively.
"I also want to pass on my thanks to our Farm Watch members for being our eyes and ears. Their quick reporting allows us to respond and catch criminals in the act."
If you can help Wiltshire Police with any information on rural crime, you can contact them on 101 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.