Volunteer Riders To Now help rural police report crimes to crackdown on gangs

Volunteer riders will help police crackdown on countryside gangs and poachers
The scheme in Wiltshire aims to tackle theft, badger baiting and hare coursing
It follows surge in hare coursing in recent months as gangs intimidate farmers
Despite lockdown, theft of agricultural vehicles has remained stubbornly high
Volunteer riders are now helping rural police report crimes to crackdown on gangs stealing farm vehicles, hare coursing and fly-tipping.

Wiltshire Police is creating the UK's volunteer force of riders to act as countryside protectors in rural areas where gangs and poachers often act with disregard for their surroundings.

The issue of hare coursing, popular among travellers, has been sweeping the countryside in recent months.

In one startling case, police found 10 hares on a road at the side of a farm close to the village of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire.

Hardened criminal gangs have been using the mafia-like tactic to intimidate farmers into letting them pursue illegal hare-coursing on their land.

Wiltshire Police figures show 462 reports of hare coursing were made to the force, while intimidation is understood to be of significant concern for rural residents.