Caught Red-Handed with Dead Hares and Dog
Kent Police’s Rural Task Force has slapped a two-year national Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) on a man busted for hare coursing in Birchington.
On Saturday 18 January 2025, officers were called to Dane Road, Birchington, after members of the public spotted a man carrying dead hares over his shoulder. He was accompanied by a white and brown Lurcher, off its lead. Witnesses also saw a green vehicle stop nearby.
Arrest and Evidence Found
Police arrived 20 minutes after the call. The driver had fresh blood stains on his clothes, which he claimed came from an injured dog. A search uncovered a discarded monocular in a bush, which the man admitted was his. Nearby, officers found three dead hares hidden under a hedgerow just 10 feet from the vehicle.
“Hare coursing is illegal across the UK. It’s not just a harmless pastime. It’s a cruel, deliberate act against a protected species.”
