FOUR men have been arrested in connection with two separate incidents of hare coursing in Wiltshire.

Members of the public saw men hunting with dogs near Ludgershall and July and reported lamping in the Laverstock areas.

Wiltshire's Rural Crime Team announced that it had arrested four men on suspicion of hare coursing on Wednesday evening, August 14.

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The men will be summonsed to appear before court at a future date.

Rural crime tactical lead, chief inspector James Brain, said: “There is no place in Wiltshire for those who persist in hare coursing. Not only is it brutally cruel and illegal but often has links to other crimes.

“In her letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner dated August 2, Chief Constable Catherine Roper has been very clear about the importance of tackling crime affecting rural communities - with renewed focus on poaching and hare coursing as well as the theft of farm machinery.

“The Rural Crime Team will continue to work very closely with our Burglary Team, Local Policing Tasking Teams and rural crime partners to ensure we have regular and targeted proactive activity to tackle crime affecting rural communities.

“I would like to thank the members of the public who called 999 to report these incidents.”

In an emergency, crimes in progress should be reported by calling 999.

Report crimes you have witnessed after the event by calling 101 or use an online reporting form by visiting wiltshire.police.uk.