Seven men have been charged with hare coursing following what police have described as “excellent collaborative work”.
Officers were called in the early hours of Saturday 25th April to reports of three vehicles hare coursing across rural land near Ludgershall.
One of the vehicles was stopped after a pursuit on the A303 in Hampshire, while another was later found abandoned.
Seven people were arrested after officers discovered dead hares, lurcher dogs and equipment associated with poaching inside the vehicles.
All seven have now been charged with being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
Those charged are:
- Paddy Cash, 20, of Watling Farm Close, Stanmore
- Patrick Connors, 27, of Devonshire Green, Farnham Royal, Slough
- Tommy Frankham, 21, of Sandy Lane, Bushey, Hertfordshire
- John Nicholson, 20, of Northlands, Royston, Barnsley
- Joseph Smith, 25, of Leatherhead, Surrey
- Albert Smith, 25, of Woodstock Lane South, Chessington, Surrey
- Nathan Smith, 18, of Chalfont Road, Chalfont Saint Giles
They have been bailed to appear before Salisbury Magistrates’ Court in August.
Superintendent Conway Duncan said: “We recognise the impact crimes like hare coursing have on our rural and farming communities.
“We are committed to proactively policing these issues and will take robust action against those responsible.
“We rely on reports from the public to help us target our operational activity. If you see hare coursing taking place, ring 999 to report a crime in progress.”
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