Off road bikes, stolen cars, dogs and dead animals seized during Rotherham raid
It's part of a police crackdown on wildlife crime
Police in Rotherham have seized over a dozen stolen vehicles, drugs, and evidence of animal cruelty as part of a raid targeting suspected wildlife crime.
Officers worked with the RSPCA in targeting a property on Lockwood Road in the East Herringthorpe area on Monday (March 2).
A 40-year-old man was arrested as officers immediately found evidence related to illegal hunting and animal mistreatment.
In addition to a stash of dead frozen animals, police found injured dogs believed to be used to track other animals, seizing them for their welfare.
The property also contained Class B drugs, air rifles, crossbows, catapults, and a gun..
Chief Inspector Peter Spratt, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “The launch of our Rural Crime Initiative pledged our dedication to identifying and stopping those who cause harm to our rural communities, animals and land, and this warrant is an example of our commitment.
“Those who use animals for hunting are frequently linked to wider criminality, and there is often criminal damage and anti-social behaviour associated to their actions.
"Seizing equipment, animals, weapons and recovering drugs causes a significant disruption to criminality, and for that we make no apologies.
“I also want to take this opportunity to thank our partners at Naturewatch and RSPCA who played a really important role in our initial investigatory response.
"Information from the community and our partners is crucial in helping us build our intelligence picture around rural and wildlife crime and ensures we can effectively direct our resources.
"I encourage anyone with information or concerns around rural and wildlife crime to report it to us directly, so we can take action.”
The arrested man has been released on bail.