Two vehicles involved in hare coursing seized

Two vehicles involved in hare coursing seized

Dear Resident,

It was a busy day for our Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) yesterday!

Here’s what they got up to:

Stopped a vehicle in Wisbech that was suspected to have been involved in hare coursing in Friday Bridge. The car was seized for failing to stop for police and having no insurance.

Stopped a vehicle in Ramsey Road, Pondersbridge, that was also suspected to be involved in the hare coursing. Four men were found inside the vehicle along with an 11-year-old boy. The men were handed Community Protection Warnings (CPWs), which last three months, if they are found committing further offences, Community Protection Notices (CPNs) will be issued. They were also given dispersal orders which bans them from returning to the area for 48 hours.

Seized another vehicle near Ramsey Forty Foot for failing to stop for police after it was suspected to be involved in hare coursing in Ramsey. Six people were found in the car – five were handed CPWs, while one given a CPN after having already been issued warnings on a previous occasion.

A CPW is a letter of warning which outlines the necessary steps to improve the situation, such as not being allowed in a specific location at certain hours. Failure to comply with a CPW can lead to a CPN being issued, which details formal action required to be taken to prevent further behaviour that could be considered as harmful to the community.

Failure to comply with a CPN is an arrestable offence and could lead to a criminal prosecution.

We sometimes hear people say "Oh it’s just coursing… haven’t you got worse crimes to deal with?"

Yesterday alone, the team saw animals pursued and destroyed, farmers crops destroyed beyond use, land owners gates rammed, dangerous driving, and a family having abuse shouted at them by grown men - this is the impact hare coursing has on our rural communities which is why we will continue to respond to these concerns.

We'd like to say a big thank you to members of Cambridgeshire Countryside Watch who were the team's eyes and ears yesterday.

If you have any information about rural crime, you can report it to us online.

If a crime is in progress, or someone is in immediate danger, always call 999.

Kind regards,

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Message Sent By
Lucy Ward
(Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Communications Assistant, Peterborough and Fenland)