Suffolk hare coursing incidents still having “severe impact" warns countryside group
New guidance coming into force next month includes stronger recognition of organised criminality linked to hare coursing.
A countryside organisation says hare coursing continues to have a “severe impact” on rural communities across Suffolk and the East of England, despite a reported fall in incidents in recent years.
The warning comes as new sentencing guidelines for hare coursing offences are due to come into force from June 1, following concerns penalties did not properly reflect the seriousness of the crime.
Sentencing Council hare coursing guidelines
The updated guidance follows wider legislative changes introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which gave courts powers to impose unlimited fines, prison sentences of up to six months and orders preventing offenders from owning dogs.
The Country Land and Business Association said hare coursing goes far beyond illegal hunting and is frequently linked to organised criminality, intimidation and significant damage to farmland.
The impact
Cath Crowther, regional director for the CLA East, said: “Hare coursing is a crime that sadly impacts far too many rural communities as well as farmers.”
She added: “Hare coursing, yes, it involves dogs chasing and killing hares, but it doesn’t stop there.
“These coursers are tearing across farmland and going through crops, causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to crops, smashing through gates and hedges, causing problems with wildlife, and leaving devastation behind.”
Ms Crowther said offenders often targeted isolated rural areas, leaving communities feeling vulnerable.
“People are threatened, abused, even assaulted,” she said.
“It’s not a low-level crime. It’s not just some people chasing a hare. It’s everything that comes with it.”
Incoming changes
The Sentencing Council’s updated guidance includes stronger recognition of aggravating factors, including offenders recording incidents on social media or committing offences in the presence of children.
The new guidance also highlights the possibility of offenders being disqualified from owning dogs.
Ms Crowther said this was particularly significant because dogs are often viewed by offenders as valuable assets.
“We were finding that sometimes the courts were returning dogs back to the owners,” she said.
“The dogs had been seized by the police, the police were incurring the cost of kennelling those dogs, and then when it got to court, sometimes the dogs were returned to the owners.
“So hopefully it will be clear that they shouldn’t do that.”
More to be done
The CLA said stronger sentencing alone would not solve the issue and called for better training, resources and understanding across police forces.
Ms Crowther said rural crime teams needed sufficient support to respond quickly to incidents in large countryside areas.
“It’s ensuring that call handlers have training so that they understand the severity and the seriousness of hare coursing,” she said.
“We need to make sure that the police have four-by-fours, helicopters where appropriate, drones, et cetera.”
She added that while incidents had reduced in some areas over recent years, hare coursing remained a major issue because of the level of damage caused when offences do occur.
“It’s still a massive issue and when there are incidents they have a severe impact,” she said.
The Sentencing Council said the updated guidance aims to help courts impose more consistent and proportionate sentences for hare coursing offences across England and Wales.