A operation launched by Lincolnshire Police last September to crack down on hare coursing in the county is proving to be successful.
Operation Galileo has seen a marked reduction of incidents of the illegal sport in the last six months. 810 were reported compared to 1100 incidents for the same period last season.
An specialist operation to crack down on hare coursing in Lincolnshire has recorded more than a thousand incidents in the last year. The illegal sport can generate thousands of pounds in betting money, but for the farmers it's a blight on their land.
Kate Hemingway went out on patrol with Lincolnshire police as part of Operation Galileo.
Police in Lincolnshire say they are still catching hare coursers on a daily basis.
Lincolnshire Police launched their special crackdown on hare coursing, 'Operation Galileo', last September and say they are bringing more offenders to justice.
There have been 550 prosecutions since September 2012, and 1200 reported cases over the last year.
One recent incident resulted in around £30,000 worth of betting on dogs for the offenders.
The illegal sport, which involves dogs like lurchers chasing hares to kill them, can mean big money for those behind it.
But the police face a common problem - the coursers will say they have been given permission to be on the land to catch rabbits, and witnesses are often reluctant to give evidence. Sergeant Dave Robinson of Lincolnshire Police has been talking to Kate Hemingway.
Police in Lincolnshire say they are still catching hare coursers on a daily basis. There have been 550 prosecutions since September 2012, and 1200 reported cases over the last year.
Officers launched their special crackdown 'Operation Galileo' last September and say they are bringing more offenders to justice.
One recent incident resulted in around £30,000 worth of betting on dogs for the offenders.
The illegal sport, which involves dogs like lurchers chasing hares to kill them, can mean big money for those behind it.
But for the farmers it's a blight on their land, and one with huge financial implications as they have to devote a lot of time to finding and fending off the coursers.
Mark Leggott who farms on the Fens near Boston has been speaking to Kate Hemingway.
Police say to date 21 men have been prosecuted for crimes relating to illegal hare coursing in Lincolnshire. A specialist police team have been in operation in the area for one month now.
In that time they have caught offenders from as far as the West Midlands and Wales who have travelled to the area to hunt. They've also recovered 5 vehicles, rescued five dogs and seized mobile phones.
As the hare coursing seasons begins, police in Lincolnshire are starting a crackdown on the crime. A specialist team of seven officers has been set up to catch offenders.
Police in Lincolnshire are starting a crackdown on hare coursing.
A specialist team of seven officers has been set up after figures showed incidents have increased year on year.
The illegal sport uses dogs to chase hares across the countryside and police say it attracts people who are often involved in other sorts of crime. The season which runs from September to March.
We have spoken to Chief Inspector Kieran English from Lincolnshire Police abou it.
A specialist team has been set in Lincolnshire to tackle the crime of hare coursing.
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