Lincolnshire police determined to tackle hare coursing
Officers say they're taking a more "enhanced" approach
Lincolnshire Police say they're determined to crack down on hare coursing as they bring in new measures to address the issue across the county
Operation Galilieo is said to have a more "enhanced" approach.
We spoke to wildlife crime officer for Lincolnshire police DC Aaron Flynn.
He told us: " We're having a lot of issues with night poaching, people going out at night lamping."
Last season we reduced it by 66 per cent
"Deer - badgers and foxes - they set the dogs on it to kill."
"Wildlife is a really bespoke area of policing and a lot of police officers don't really get involved in it so it's really left to those that do to deal with a majority of those cases."
"We have massively reduced hare coursing since the team was established 2 seasons ago."
"Last season we reduced it by 66 per cent - I think because of the rural crime team and also the powers the Government has given us to deal with hare coursing."
"Hare coursers do not care about farmer's fields, they don't care about the effort the farmer's gone into."
"They just drive their vehicles over it, destroying all the farmer's hard work."
They don't appreciate anyone's property
"People don't realise the impact that has on a farmer."
"It's a lot of money's worth - a lot of time and effort - just destroyed."
We also spoke to a gamekeeper at Witham on the Hill.
He told us: "I've seen poachers when I've been sitting out come past me."
"When there's five in a land rover discovery the odds are not very good."
"They don't appreciate anybody's property."
"We do come across where poachers have been across the fields."
"It's horrible really because there's me doing it properly and then they just come round."
"By poaching like that they make the deer really "skitish"
"It makes our job even harder."