REPORTS of illegal hare coursing in the area have dropped by nearly 95 per cent in the past two years, say Herts police. North Herts rural officer Pc Paul Marina has used powers under the Crime and Disorder Act and traffic powers to stop and examine vehic
REPORTS of illegal hare coursing in the area have dropped by nearly 95 per cent in the past two years, say Herts police.
North Herts rural officer Pc Paul Marina has used powers under the Crime and Disorder Act and traffic powers to stop and examine vehicles to see a reduction in incidents.
"A lot of the time landowners were not willing to support police action as they were concerned about potential reprisals by the hare coursers.
"But using legislation we were able to tackle the problem without directly involving any members of the public," he said.
Pc Marina said that any concerns about intimidation in the rural communities has "reduced dramatically".
He added that in the past up to 50 men with dogs would arrive in the area for illegal hare coursing on private land. "This was not only worrying for the landowners, but for other members of the rural community," he said.
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