Man charged in crackdown on hare coursing

The 23-year-old was arrested after police received reports of two incidents in the Rothienorman area

Published 26th Jun 2017

A 23-year-old man from Aberdeen has been charged in connection with a series of alleged hare coursing offences in Aberdeenshire.

The man was arrested after police received reports of two incidents in the Rothienorman area on Friday June 16, 2017, and Sunday 18.

He was subsequently arrested and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

He has also been charged in connection with another alleged hare coursing incident and Road Traffic Offences on May 3 in the Huntly area. In addition, he has been charged in connection with alleged Road Traffic Offences in the Udny area in April.

PC Graham Crawford, of the Divisional Alcohol & Violence Reduction Unit (DAVRU), said: "Thank you to those who assisted us with these particular enquiries."

He added: "Operation Black Falls continues throughout the North East to tackle hare coursing crimes and the associated illegal behaviour that often comes with it.

"Hare coursing is a barbaric sport that has been banned for good reason and it goes without saying that it will not be tolerated in our communities.

"Additional rural crime patrols were carried out in Aberdeenshire at the weekend, in particular the Rothienorman area, to deter this type of crime. North East Division is committed to tackling this and I hope this action provides reassurance that we are doing what we can to ensure the area is a hostile environment for such behaviour.

"Anyone with concerns should contact Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 if you would prefer to remain anonymous.