South Holland put under weekend dispersal order to target hare coursers

Police have put a dispersal order in place across South Holland this weekend to try and stop hare coursers from entering the area.

Under the order, which also applies to Boston and East Lindsey over the next two days, anyone suspected of hare coursing or who is in the process of letting dogs loose on farmland in the area, will be ordered out of Lincolnshire.

The order also gives police the power to act if someone fails to obey, or returns to the area within the 48-hour period, as they will be deemed to have committed an offence.

In an interview with Spalding Today last month, Chief Inspector Phil Vickers, force lead on rural crime at Lincolnshire Police, said that "several hundred incidents" of hare coursing were reported in October.

Mr Vickers said: "To put a dispersal order in place, a senior officer would need to see a real risk of offending and I'm anticipating that we'll see further dispersal orders used during this month and next month."