Legal move sought to tackle hare coursing

POLICING MINISTER Nick Hurd has been asked to consider a legal change that would mean police could recover the kennelling costs of dogs seized in hare coursing cases.

Police consider seizures of dogs involved in the crime to an be effective deterrent to repeat offences by their owners, yet many forces have abandoned the measure due to prohibitively expensive kennel costs, according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

In a meeting with MP Mr Hurd, the NFU urged him to consider “a new statutory instrument” to address the situation.

It comes after NFU president Minette Batters raised concerns as part of The Yorkshire Post’s special report on rural crime last week, that the cost of kennels is hampering police efforts to tackle poaching, saying that forces face “a lose-lose situation”. After meeting Mr Hurd, NFU chief land management advisor Sam Durham said: “Hare coursing can often be one of the crimes with the most impact on a farm business. Not only can it cause significant damage to the land, but those committing the crime often use violence and intimidation when confronted. “By giving police the power to seize dogs, and make it viable in the long-term, you can rid criminals of their most valuable asset and go a long way to stopping repeat offences.” More than a quarter of farms experienced hare coursing last year, the NFU reports.