A kitten almost had its paw ripped off when it got caught in an illegal hunting trap which has been banned since 1958.

The fire service was called to Iwerne Hill at 7.40am with reports of a large vehicle fire.

More unseasonally warm and dry weather is expected this week, leading to the first amber wildfire alert of 2022 issued by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS).

The Wiltshire Saboteurs, a group of animal rights activists attended the Avon Vale closing meet in Neston on Saturday, March 12 to campaign against hunting.

Officers in Swindon are appealing for the public’s help following a number of incidents involving illegal riding of motorcycles in the Penhill and Pinehurst area.

AN ARMY mechanic claimed the car he was driving was stolen after he led police on a dangerous pursuit through rural Wiltshire in the early hours of the morning.

With rural crime never far from the headlines, PC Marc Jackson, of Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team, tells us about crime that commonly affects farms and what farmers can do to protect their businesses.

Red Tractor has removed a dairy farm from its assurance scheme after a BBC Panorama programme exposed shocking abuse of livestock by workers on the farm.

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.

Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn, of rural insurance broker Lycetts, said that fly-tipping is an "unwelcome blight" on the countryside, and risks include environmental and human health, as well as financial burdens for farmers and landowners.

Wiltshire Police are warning people to be vigilant after a number of quad bike and vehicle thefts across the county.
The Rural Crime team say they have seen a rise in recent weeks.

Countryside crime on the rise while offenders go unchecked and convictions drop, warn nature experts

Scrambler bikes stolen from workshop on farm in Hullavington