Officers disrupt hare coursing in Sutterton

Police attended the report at 8.10am yesterday (Wednesday), where they were able to seize the vehicle after it was ‘abandoned’.

Three men from Market Harborough who were in the area but denied having anything to do with hare coursing or the vehicle were also ordered to leave the county under a dispersal order put in place yesterday by the Lincolnshire force.

A spokesman told The Standard that although the officers were unable to deal with the incident under hare coursing legislation, which demands officers visibly witness the crime taking place, they hoped that by using other methods they could potentially disrupt any potential incidents.

They said, for instance, that it was unlikely that anyone would claim the abandoned vehicle for fear of being linked to crimes.

The dispersal order in place yesterday lasted until 7pm and was authorised due to the high volume of hare coursing related incidents called in by members of our community, across the county.

A statement from police as it was issued said: “Hare coursing is a criminal activity which has seen members of the public harassed and distressed and instants of crime and disorder.

“The use of the dispersal power is felt necessary to remove or reduce the likelihood of crime and disorder occurring in the county by those involved in the illegal pursuit of hare coursing and to remove the likelihood of members of the public being victims of crime.

“With this authorisation in force officers can direct a person to leave the area and not to return within a certain time, they can also be asked to surrender certain items if it is believed they are used for hare coursing.

“Failure to comply with the dispersal order is also a criminal offence.”

The actions support the forces Operaton Galileo, which aims to tackle hare coursing across the county.

Anyone who witnesses incidents should report them to Lincolnshire Police on 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency.