Dogs seized during day of action against hare coursing

Police carried out a day of action with neighbouring forces yesterday (Wednesday) as part of Operation Galileo. This resulted in a number of people being dispersed from the county and some dogs being seized.

Officers from Leicestershire Police joined Lincolnshire’s Rural Crime officers to learn about how they tackle hare coursing. Additionally, officers from Northamptonshire Police’s Cross-Border Team patrolled in South Lincolnshire, supported by Roads Policing officers from the East Midlands Operational Support Service.

Officers in Nottingham, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk were also carrying out parallel patrols in their counties.

Three men from Bishop Auckland in County Durham were suspected of preparing for hare coursing in Holbeach St Johns. They were given dispersal notices to leave the county and three dogs were seized from them for the day, preventing them from hare coursing.

In a separate incident at Long Sutton, four men from Middlesbrough were given dispersal notices and escorted from the county.

Chief Inspector Jim Tyner, who was in charge of the day’s operation said: ‘I am grateful to our colleagues from neighbouring forces who have joined us for Operation Galileo. I believe that the seizure of dogs is an effective deterrent and disrupts hare coursing.

“On the day of action we were in the position where we could have seized four more dogs but ran out of kennel space so we will rectify that for the future. “The message from me is clear: if you come to Lincolnshire for hare coursing, we will use every power available to us to seize your dogs.”