Police helicopter helps rural crime teams catch hare coursers

Seven police forces that joined together to crack down on hare coursing across the east of England last year are now working with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) to respond quicker to rural crime as it happens.

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent police forces have reduced hare coursing incidents by removing the borders between their patches, which has made catching and prosecuting offenders easier.

The forces become one when using certain powers, and this has helped with the use of automatic number plate recognition, the seizure of dogs and sharing intelligence on suspected hare coursers, including their movements and meetings.