Hare coursers once again showed contempt for Cambridgeshire police, some of them pouring into the Fens today to carry on their illicit pastime. Cambridgeshire police even put up a police helicopter to track their movements.
In March, off Lambs Hill Drove in March, CambsNews caught up with the rural crime team tackling the latest arrival of travellers who had been chased across part of Cambridgeshire after attempting to pursue their illegal ‘sport’ in the village of Benwick’.
We witnessed the police helicopter hovering about the suspects and watched as they pinpointed offenders to officers on the ground.
At least one vehicle was impounded and taken away by Cambridgeshire police contractors.
Travellers damage fire engines and equipment in Ramsey attack
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire police said the suspected hare coursers were pursued by officers and finally stopped in March.
“We were called at 8.25am today (27 January) with reports of suspected hare coursing near Benwick,” said a police spokesperson
“Officers from the Rural Crime Action Team attended the scene and were supported by the National Police Air Service.
“Two men were located and their vehicle seized.
“Both were dispersed from the county. One was given a Community Protection Warning and the other a Community Protection Notice.
“An investigation is ongoing.”
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This afternoon Cambridgeshire police and crime commissioner Darryl Preston is among those trying to re-assure the public in Manea that police are on top of the issue.
It follows a day of mayhem across the Fens that saw villagers targeted by a large convoy of out of town travellers intent on damaging fields, threatening fire fighters during a training session, robbing stores and speeding through towns and villages.
Mr Preston is speaking to hundreds gathered in Manea for a hastily called meeting by MP Steve Barclay to address the issue.
Mr Preston, meanwhile, claimed ahead of his re-election last year that “as a direct result of having so many more officers is reflected in how crime has gone down across the county and in Peterborough in the last 12 months compared to pre-Covid times,” he said.
Rural crime he said was down 21 per cent, and hare coursing and poaching down 48 per cent.
However, one officer spoken to by CambsNews today complained that increased resources for the rural crime action team are yet to happen.
Police have launched an investigation has been launched following multiple complaints of hare coursing, criminal damage and dangerous driving in various parts of the county, over the weekend.
Incidents took place in Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow, Littleport, Welney, Chatteris, Manea, Wimblington and Doddington and police are appealing for the public’s help in identifying those involved.
The scale of the hare coursing event is unprecedented and responding to the incidents was difficult, however, the force is working with the local community to identify those involved and bring them to justice.
Local policing commander Superintendent Ben Martin said: “We understand the damage, concern and fear these incidents have brought to our rural communities and are sorry we were unable to do more to stop the activities of these people at the time.
“The information we had in advance of this gathering had very limited detail, so a force-wide dispersal order was put in place.
“However, due to the scale of the incident and the multiple locations where offences took place, as well as a significantly demanding weekend elsewhere in the county, meant we didn’t have the resources available to deal with every report we received from members of the public.
“We understand the frustrations of the community and are attending a meeting this afternoon, alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner, to speak with local residents, councillors and the local MP, to address their concerns.”
A vehicle from the incident has been seized and will be forensically examined, as part of the investigation, and hundreds of images have been received that we will be using to identify those involved.
Superintendent Martin added: “We want to reassure the community that we are committed to policing our rural communities, and this morning two men were stopped for hare coursing in the Ramsey area.
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“One was issued with a community protection notice, and the second a community protection warning and both were dispersed from the county.
“We continue to appeal to the public for any information they may have – CCTV, dashcam footage or doorbell footage, that can help us identify these individuals.”
Anyone with any information and footage that could assist in identifying those involved is asked to email RCAT@cambs.police.uk or alternatively, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org