A landowners’ leader has called on police in the East of England to do all they can to stop the ‘sinister tactics, threats and intimidation’ used by hare coursers as the traditional time of year for them to emerge approaches.

Ben Underwood, regional director of Country, Land and Business Association (CLA) East, has written to police chief constables calling for a serious level of resource to tackle it. The crime, which involves setting dogs to chase, catch and kill hares, becomes more prevalent after harvest when arable land is cleared of crops.

“Every year following harvest farmers and landowners across our region brace themselves for a rise in hare coursing,” he said. “As the recent National Rural Crime Survey has shown, those who work or live in rural areas feel vulnerable to crime. It is little surprise that many feel isolated and the criminals who roam the countryside to go hare coursing only add to this feeling of unease.”