Fire threats made by hare-coursers

Poachers warned farmer they would burn down his property

An Angus farmer has spoken of his terrifying ordeal after he approached illegal hare coursers on his land and they threatened to burn his farm down.

He said in the last five years there has been a marked increase in the number of visits to his farm by those poaching hares using lurcher dogs and he urged the police to take action.

The farmer, who did not wish to be named, had to treat 15 sheep for horrific wounds last year after their ears were ripped apart by dogs.

He condemned those responsible, stating they had no respect for livestock or property.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “Hare coursing, along with deer coursing and other so-called ‘blood-sports’, is an abhorrent activity where wild animals are chased and often mauled to death by dogs.”

Sergeant Victoria Crichton of Police Scotland encouraged landowners and members of the public to report incidents as soon as possible.

The owners of the luxury fivestar Cameron House resort have revealed repairing the fire damaged building is now expected to cost £23 million.

The blaze claimed the lives of two guests after it swept through sections of the Loch Lomondside hotel.

Simon Midgley, 38, and Richard Dyson, 32, from London, died in the fire in December 2017.

The hotel owners have said the estimated bill for repairs has jumped from £18.5m to £23m but should be met by their insurance firm.

Accounts submitted to Companies House by Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd revealed they now hope to be open in October next year.

But the report also confirmed the hotel had laid off 300 staff in the wake of the incident.

The report also said they have received some insurance payouts already and would also be using their own money to cover losses while also being prepared to cover third party claims resulting from the fire.

Documents added: “During March 2018, the company underwent a redundancy process due to the closure of the hotel and 300 positions were lost in the process.”

Parts of the hotel, including two restaurants, its lodges and the spa, have continued to operate.

Police are still to hand their final report to prosecutors on the fire. The Crown Office will then decide whether any legal proceedings will be held.