Hare coursing

Hare coursing

West Mercia Police is targeting the illegal and cruel practice of hare coursing as part of a new operation focused on tackling this activity that also harms our countryside.

Operation Snare is starting this National Rural Crime Action Week and will involve officers and staff from our rural crime teams working with the farming community and our partner agencies.

Hare coursing is a serious crime which is often associated with organised criminality. It causes severe animal welfare harm and has a wider impact on rural communities through trespass, damage to land and anti-social behaviour.

We will be working in partnership with farmers and agencies including the NFU and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust to step up efforts to target hare coursing now that harvests have taken place, which are earlier than normal this year due to the heatwaves that have hit the UK.