VIDEO: Police chief gives an update on how the force dealt with illegal hare coursers in Lincolnshire over the past year

As the new harecoursing season has started in earnest, with arrests and dog seizures this week, in his Youtube video on the police website, Ch Insp Tyner says: “We tackle this because our rural communities tell us this is an issue which causes them concern.

“In the last season Lincolnshire Police arrested or reported for summons 176 men.”

Having been asked what happens to these people he has provided an update.

He continues: “This year we are focussing on the seizure of dogs used in hare coursing because this has been shown to be a significant deterrent. We are working with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure we consistently provide the best available evidence. We are working closely with our farming community to improve understanding of what evidence is required to maximise chances of a successful conviction and how rural communities can help us.

“I have recently introduced a text reporting service to improve communication channels and provide an additional means of sharing information and we will continue to make every use of the powers at our disposal to deter and deal with hare coursers.”

He concludes: “The message from me is that Operation Galileo is here to stay but our success relies on joint working with our colleagues in neighbouring forces and on the rural community having confidence to be good witnesses.”