Hare coursing

From West Mercia Police:

We have received numerous reports of hare coursing across West Mercia, including Shropshire.

Hare coursing is an illegal activity that often results in hares being killed or seriously injured and then left behind by those involved. It also causes significant damage to farmland and newly planted crops, as offenders frequently drive vehicles recklessly across fields and leave gates open.

This activity bears little resemblance to the traditional image of a lone person hunting with a dog for food. Those responsible are often organised groups who travel considerable distances to areas where they believe they can operate with little interference.

Intelligence is shared between police forces across the region and nationally to build profiles of those involved and to identify and target the vehicles being used.

If hare coursing is taking place, we encourage members of the public to report it via 999 as it is treated as a Grade 1 emergency response incident.