What is Hare Coursing-
Hare coursing is a rural sport that was made illegal after the Hunting Bill came into effect in February 2005. Despite the ban, it is still conducted, even though it is now against the law. Here is the lowdown on hare coursing. Unlike in some rural sports, the aim of hare coursing is not necessarily to kill the hares. For poachers, this is the basic idea, but for coursers, the idea is to chase the hares for sport, using dogs (who would compete in packs of two). The dogs would be pitted against each other to determine the winner in terms of speed, agility and dogged determination. They do this to score points and ultimately, money. Taking part in hare coursing can now result in arrest and a £200 fine or in serious cases prison.
PC’s from your local policing team have recently been patrolling the rural areas to help prevent wildlife crime, mainly Hare Coursing. Hare coursing is a rural sport that was made illegal after the Hunting Bill came into effect in February 2005. Despite the ban, it is still conducted, even though it is now against the law. Here is the lowdown on hare coursing. Unlike in some rural sports, the aim of hare coursing is not necessarily to kill the hares. For poachers, this is the basic idea, but for coursers, the idea is to chase the hares for sport, using dogs (who would compete in packs of two). The dogs would be pitted against each other to determine the winner in terms of speed, agility and dogged determination. They do this to score points and ultimately, money. All the offences under the Hunting Act are punishable by a fine of up to £5,000. Dogs, vehicles and equipment used in a hunting offence may be confiscated and, if appropriate, destroyed. Anyone refusing to pay a fine or comply with a confiscation order can ultimately be sent to prison.
Crime prevention-
Most criminals tend to choose properties that look unoccupied, are not secure and allow them to work unseen. Take some time now to assess the security of your home and to prevent entry of a would-be criminal. Top Tips to Keep Your House Safe:
1) Fit burglar alarms & good outside security lighting, check regularly to ensure they work.
2) Lock doors & windows before you go out.
3) Remove keys from locks & keep out of reach of windows & doors.
For further advice call us on 0845 33 00 247
There has recently been an increase in the number of Burglaries in the Penrith area. We would like to advise all property owners of the need to protect their property against the opportunist thief. Opportunist thieves require only a window of a few minutes to make an impact on your life by stealing or damaging your property. Over the coming months we will be working to reduce the number of burglaries in the area by ensuring that regular patrols are carried out. We would also like to appeal for members of the public to report any suspicious vehicles or persons in the area. Criminals can often pass a location many times before committing a crime they do this to gather information about security arrangements for there next target. Please don’t be a victim of crime; start making arrangements NOW to protect your property. If you require further advice please call us on
0845 33 00 247 and speak with your local officer.
We continue to make regular patrols of the Penrith rural area in an effort to reduce crime. Recently PC Harrison has been using the speed gun in the rural area in order to combat speeding drivers. Anyone found speeding can face a fine of sixty pounds and three points on their licence.
We would like to appeal all residents to be extra vigilant in the coming months as the evenings becoming darker. Thieves generally like to commit crime during the hours of darkness; providing extra lighting around your property can help to prevent it being targeted by thieves. For more advice on crime prevention please call 0845 33 00 247.
We continue to make regular patrols at night in order to combat theft from farms. We are currently planning operations with neighbouring forces in order to reduce crime. If you would like to be part of our farm watch scheme please contact 0845 33 00 247
On the 23rd of August 2 males were arrested by Penrith officers after being suspected of a burglary at Flusco near Penrith. Whilst out on routine patrol an officer came across some items that he suspected to be stolen. A search of the area was then made by local officers and officers from our dog unit and resulted in the two arrests.
On the 14th of August officers were informed of a vehicle on fire and on attendance found that the vehicle had been stolen in a burglary. Two arrests were then made following a call from a member of the public concerning two suspicious males. This incident highlights the importance of passing information to police about suspicious persons and also highlights the positive action taken against anyone found to have stolen vehicles in our area.