Wiltshire farmer shares impact of rural crime on his land
Tim Carson says hare coursers are on his land on a weekly basis
A Wiltshire farmer has told us about the impact rural crime has on his land.
Tim Carson, of Alton Barnes in Pewsey Vale, says he has hare coursing on his land on a weekly basis.
Tackling rural crime in Wiltshire is being made a top priority by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Philip Wilkinson.
Mr Carson told us how Wiltshire Police deals with the issue has improved.
Crops don't recover from being damaged
Hare coursing see's dogs unleashed on farm land to chase hares, with the act now being livestreamed and people able to bet on it.
Mr Carson told us it can destroy his crops, which are planted around mid-October, because the criminals are driving around his fields.
He said: "The wheel marks are deep and you know the crop underneath doesn't necessarily recover and you're left with all these wheel marks across all your planted arable fields."
He told Greatest Hits Radio that only three weeks ago, hare coursers smashed through two fences around his land on a day when rain meant farmers wouldn't be out and about.
Mr Carson has an insurance claim in for the damage while the vehicle used was picked up later that day, with no occupants inside.
He said it's very difficult to keep them out, and costs rise almost endlessly with putting up new gates and fences and replacing chains and padlocks.
"All you can do is call the police," he said, "Because the more you upset them, the more they'll come back and retaliate in some way."
Farms are 'easy pickings' - but Policing is improving
And it's not just hare coursing that can affect farmers - these criminal gangs operate at night, burgling farms and stealing high-cost equipment - and it's far from easy to track them down.
"A lot of farms are very isolated places and easy pickings," Mr Carson said.
"But most farmers now have cameras and all this is picked up on cameras. You give all that information to the police, but they just have a hell of a time trying to apprehend these people."
Despite the difficulty in apprehending these individuals, Mr Carson said policing in Wiltshire has improved when it comes to rural crime.
He said: "We have great communication with them. You dial 999, you get a reaction and these guys are hounded by the police, chased off and warned off.
"They get stopped, their vehicles can get impounded, they might have their dogs confiscated.
"You make life as difficult as possible for them, hoping that, you know, they'll think twice about coming back, but all you're doing is pushing the problem on someone else."
He told us that the Force are doing 'all they can' with limited resources, saying 'everyone's crying out for funding', with the Police being no different in that need.
PCC Philip Wilkinson has made rural crime a top priority in his Police and Crime Plan 2025 - 2029.
Mr Carson said: "Philip Wilkinson with his expertise and experience having been a former soldier in intelligence. he's got a plan and it'd be great if he can fulfil that plan."