More than 50 poachers dispersed and dogs seized

More than 50 poachers and hare coursers were dispersed over the weekend, police said.

Cambridgeshire Police said it received multiple reports of men and children poaching and trespassing with dogs on farmland off Haddon Road in Haddon, near Peterborough, on Saturday.

A police helicopter and the force's rural crime action team tracked the group through a wooded area near the A1(M), and after the roads were blocked to contain them, the group was detained.

Officers said 40 individuals would be investigated for rural and wildlife offences.

Several vehicles and items associated with poaching were seized, a spokesperson added.

"Hare coursing and associated criminality including threats, criminal damage and even violence, can have a real impact on our rural communities," said Sgt Tom Nuttall.

"These activities not only harm wildlife and the environment but also cause distress to landowners and residents."

On Sunday, officers received further reports of hare coursers driving across fields on Main Drove in Little Downham, near Ely.

Four men were detained, given notices and told to leave Cambridgeshire, while four lurcher-type dogs were also seized.

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