Farmers are being encouraged to report any instances of coursing during the campaign, which is run in conjunction with the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Police also have a new van with a prisoner cage inside, allowing them to detain a number of people at once.

They can arrest anyone suspected of trespassing on land in pursuit of game, including the protected brown hare.

Substantial decline

Sgt Jim Tyner said: "We have a team of officers dedicated to this problem.

"We want to show these poachers that Lincolnshire Police will not tolerate hare coursing.

"We will also be sharing intelligence about hare coursers with other forces so we know about specific individuals, the vehicles being used and about future gatherings."

The brown hare has shown substantial decline in recent years and a national survey indicated the arable area of East Anglia is particularly important for the species.

As a result of this decline, the brown hare has been placed on the government's list of priority species for conservation.