Sting their cars, seize their dogs, bombard them with community protection orders – and take their photo.

%image(15571655, type="article-full", alt="Cambs Police helped @LincsRuralCrime on October 11 with 3 dispersals, 3 Community protection warnings, car and slingshot seized. "Some of the most disgusting comments heard from anyone we've dealt with but we put up with it to protect the public," said a police spokesperson. @CambsCops")

That has been the ongoing campaign of police across Cambridgeshire as part of a bid to remove hare coursers and disperse criminals coming here for illegal sport.

Police have also tackled lamping (which involves using lights in pitch darkness to startle animals before shooting them or using dogs to chase them”.

And the offenders have come across county borders, too, most recently from Lincolnshire where Cambridgeshire police have helped their neighbours on two occasions.

The most recent involved stopping a group and in the process, noted a police spokesperson, being on the receiving end of abuse.

%image(15571657, type="article-full", alt="Cambs Police helped @LincsRuralCrime on October 11 with 3 dispersals, 3 Community protection warnings, car and slingshot seized. "Some of the most disgusting comments heard from anyone we've dealt with but we put up with it to protect the public," said a police spokesperson. @CambsCops")

“Some of the most disgusting comments heard from anyone we’ve dealt with but we put up with it to protect the public,” said one officer involved.

Typical though was this week when two hare coursers were stopped at Wilburton “one of whom was for the second time this month”.

A police report noted that the offender was issued with a community protection notice which criminalises ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) which provides them with more powers.

Here is a selection of police reports – and photos of course- from recent weeks.

%image(15571658, type="article-full", alt="Cambs Police helped @LincsRuralCrime on October 11 with 3 dispersals, 3 Community protection warnings, car and slingshot seized. "Some of the most disgusting comments heard from anyone we've dealt with but we put up with it to protect the public," said a police spokesperson. @CambsCops")

%image(15571660, type="article-full", alt="Cambs Police helped @LincsRuralCrime on October 11 with 3 dispersals, 3 Community protection warnings, car and slingshot seized. "Some of the most disgusting comments heard from anyone we've dealt with but we put up with it to protect the public," said a police spokesperson. @CambsCops")

%image(15571662, type="article-full", alt="Busy day for RCAT in late September; first lot of coursers caught near Yaxley, second group caught near Thriplow. 6 x community protection warnings issued ;3 x interviewed and reported and 2 x vehicles seized All dispersed and banned from entering the county")

%image(15571664, type="article-full", alt="Cambs Police say that working in partnership with @LincsRuralCrime and other #OpGalileo forces they got this Subaru stopped on october 5.. The menhad come all the way from Yorkshire well equipped for lamping. Lamps seized. Dispersals and Community protection warnings issued.@CambsCops")

%image(15571667, type="article-full", alt="Cambs Police say that working in partnership with @LincsRuralCrime and other #OpGalileo forces they got this Subaru stopped on october 5.. The menhad come all the way from Yorkshire well equipped for lamping. Lamps seized. Dispersals and Community protection warnings issued.@CambsCops")

%image(15571672, type="article-full", alt="In September this Grand Cherokee led RCAT officers on a 32 mile pursuit starting at Holme at around 1600 to Chittering before it was stung at 17:00 hours.. Even after being stung the vehicle continued without tyres until the driver lost control. 3 men were arrested, one of which had two outstanding warrants and 1 dog was seized. @CambsCops")

%image(15571674, type="article-full", alt="Big hard hit to coursers on October 4 after the Rural Crime Action Team went on the hunt. 2 vehicles seized, 2 dogs seized, 6 community protection notices issued, 6 dispersals issued, 3 interviewed and reported. @CambsCops")

%image(15571676, type="article-full", alt="Big hard hit to coursers on October 4 after the Rural Crime Action Team went on the hunt. 2 vehicles seized, 2 dogs seized, 6 community protection notices issued, 6 dispersals issued, 3 interviewed and reported. @CambsCops")

%image(15571678, type="article-full", alt="Big hard hit to coursers on October 4 after the Rural Crime Action Team went on the hunt. 2 vehicles seized, 2 dogs seized, 6 community protection notices issued, 6 dispersals issued, 3 interviewed and reported. @CambsCops")

%image(15571680, type="article-full", alt="Big hard hit to coursers on October 4 after the Rural Crime Action Team went on the hunt. 2 vehicles seized, 2 dogs seized, 6 community protection notices issued, 6 dispersals issued, 3 interviewed and reported. @CambsCops")

%image(15571682, type="article-full", alt="Vehicle stung, Vehicle stung. This ML has been seen in several #OpGalileo forces over the last week. #RCAT @Cambsruralcops stung in Wicken on October 10, six detained, issued with dispersals, community protection warnings and reported for offences revealed. #RCAT @CambsCops")

%image(15571685, type="article-full", alt="Vehicle stung, Vehicle stung. This ML has been seen in several #OpGalileo forces over the last week. #RCAT @Cambsruralcops stung in Wicken on October 10, six detained, issued with dispersals, community protection warnings and reported for offences revealed. #RCAT @CambsCops")

%image(15571688, type="article-full", alt="Two hare coursers stopped on October 19 in Wilburton, one of whom was for the second time this month. He was issued a community protection notice which criminalises ASB giving police more powers. Community protection warning issued to second male. Two dispersals also issued to the men. #RCAT #OpGalileo @CambsCops")

%image(15571689, type="article-full", alt="Fenland Police reported on October 21 that "this coursing vehicle has been running amock with others around the county today. It was stopped in March and the rural crime action team were on hand to ruin their day by seizing their car and issuing them all with dispersals and Community Protection Warnings (CPWs). Bans will follow if not adhered to". Picture; CAMBS COPS.")

%image(15571692, type="article-full", alt="Fenland Police reported on October 21 that "this coursing vehicle has been running amock with others around the county today. It was stopped in March and the rural crime action team were on hand to ruin their day by seizing their car and issuing them all with dispersals and Community Protection Warnings (CPWs). Bans will follow if not adhered to". Picture; CAMBS COPS.")

%image(15571695, type="article-full", alt="Fenland Police reported on October 21 that "this coursing vehicle has been running amock with others around the county today. It was stopped in March and the rural crime action team were on hand to ruin their day by seizing their car and issuing them all with dispersals and Community Protection Warnings (CPWs). Bans will follow if not adhered to". Picture; CAMBS COPS.")

%image(15571696, type="article-full", alt="Fenland Police reported on October 21 that "this coursing vehicle has been running amock with others around the county today. It was stopped in March and the rural crime action team were on hand to ruin their day by seizing their car and issuing them all with dispersals and Community Protection Warnings (CPWs). Bans will follow if not adhered to". Picture; CAMBS COPS.")