Police probe hare coursing on ‘unprecedented scale’ including incidents in Welney

Hare coursers hit Welney over the weekend as a police investigation was launched following multiple complaints of coursing, criminal damage and dangerous driving in neighbouring Cambridgeshire.

Incidents also took place in Chatteris, Manea, Wimblington, Doddington, Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow and Littleport.

Now, police are appealing for the public’s help in identifying those involved.

Local policing commander Superintendent Ben Martin said: “We understand the damage, concern and fear these incidents have brought to our rural communities and are sorry we were unable to do more to stop the activities of these people at the time.

“The information we had in advance of this gathering had very limited detail, so a force-wide dispersal order was put in place.

“However, due to the scale of the incident and the multiple locations where offences took place, as well as a significantly demanding weekend elsewhere in the county, we didn’t have the resources available to deal with every report we received from members of the public.

“We understand the frustrations of the community and are attending a meeting this afternoon, alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner, to speak with residents, councillors and the local MP, to address their concerns.

“A vehicle from the incident has been seized and will be forensically examined, as part of the investigation, and hundreds of images have been received that we will be using to identify those involved.

“We want to reassure the community that we are committed to policing our rural communities, and this morning two men were stopped for hare coursing in the Ramsey area. One was issued with a community protection notice, and the second a community protection warning and both were dispersed from the county.

“We continue to appeal to the public for any information they may have - CCTV, dashcam footage or doorbell footage, that can help us identify these individuals.”

Anyone with any information and footage that could assist in identifying those involved is asked to email RCAT@cambs.police.uk or alternatively, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

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