Organized crime gangs are increasingly infiltrating British farms to conduct illegal hare coursing events, intimidating landowners and leaving behind disturbing evidence of their activities. This resurgence of the banned bloodsport has led to a tenfold increase in reported incidents, according to police.
Hare coursing, which was outlawed in the UK in 2005, involves pitting dogs like lurchers and greyhounds against wild hares. Points are awarded for kills and for how successfully the dogs force the hares to change direction during a chase. Prizes at these clandestine events can reportedly reach up to £50,000, along with a trophy known as the 'Super 8 Cup'.
Law enforcement officials describe the groups involved as highly organized, with some participants wearing military-style clothing and balaclavas. They often forcibly enter farmland, breaking down gates with tools like angle grinders, to unleash their dogs.
The intimidation tactics employed by these gangs have included dumping animal carcasses in public areas, a practice described as "Godfather-style." In one incident two years ago, children in Awbridge, Hampshire, discovered 20 hare and rabbit carcasses, along with a beheaded deer, outside their school. Near the village of Broughton in Hampshire, approximately seven miles away, 50 dead hares were found near a local shop, with a barn owl and kestrel tied to the door handle.
Landowners have also reported direct confrontations. One farmer recounted being threatened by a masked individual carrying a catapult loaded with ball bearings. In a large-scale event last year in Cambridgeshire, farmer Mathew Latta witnessed over a dozen 4x4 vehicles driving across his fields after criminals cut through his iron gates. More than 70 people with dogs participated in the hunting, accompanied by loud music, while others reportedly gambled on the outcomes.
Cambridgeshire Police believe participants in such events travel from across England and Wales and employ diversionary tactics, including creating 20-mile routes that force other vehicles off the road and even robbing petrol stations to avoid capture. Mr. Latta observed gang members using binoculars to watch the chases from their vehicles.
The aftermath of these events often includes abandoned vehicles, with one instance leaving behind four cars, one of which was burned out. Following a major event in Cambridgeshire, police arrested over 40 individuals, leading to 25 charges and several convictions. During a search of one property, authorities recovered the Super 8 Cup, a 2-foot trophy engraved with canine and hare imagery and past winners' names. A video reportedly showed men discussing the sale of a champion lurcher for £55,000.
Data from police Freedom of Information requests indicate that there have been 9,000 reports of hare coursing incidents over the past three years. Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit stated that some individuals involved are making substantial profits and that the gangs resemble "a small army" of well-organized criminals.