Call for tougher action on hare coursing

Three leading countryside organisations have called for tougher action on hare coursing in a bid to provide greater protection for farms and rural communities.

The NFU, Countryside Alliance and CLA have written to Peers in the House of Lords urging them to support an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill tabled by the Bishop of St Albans.

The amendment would enable financially stretched police forces to recover the kennelling costs incurred when dogs are seized, allowing them to take more dogs away from the gangs involved.

Given the high value of the dogs, supporters of the amendment believe it would act as a significant deterrent to poachers. It would also enable courts to ban convicted offenders from having dogs and strengthen penalties by lifting the existing limit on fines.

The letter, signed by NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts, Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Tim Bonner and CLA President Mark Tufnell, pointed out: “Evidence is increasingly showing that hare coursing is closely connected to organised criminals and involves enormous sums of money changing hands through high-stakes illegal betting.

“As it stands, the law is simply not strong enough to tackle this crime effectively. Crops continue to be ruined, brown hare populations impacted and rural communities threatened and intimidated by illegal hare coursers.

“We believe that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill provides an excellent opportunity for the Government to take action in this area. The amendments proposed would deliver almost everything the government has indicated it wishes to do in terms of legislative change, and they are supported by all rural organisations and the police.”

The Bishop of St Albans, referring to “terrible and frightening stories of the rural communities who have been subject to illegal hare coursing”, stressed: “I do not believe we can wait any longer before legislating to support our farmers and rural communities on this issue.”