Police have stepped up patrols across Wiltshire following reports of hare coursing and poaching in the county.
With the harvest almost complete on many arable farms, fields are becoming more accessible to vehicles used by those involved in illegal hare coursing.
Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has been carrying out high-visibility patrols in areas recently targeted.
Officers have also been providing crime prevention advice and stopping and checking numerous vehicles.
Hare coursing involves the pursuit of hares using dogs, and police are urging members of the public to report incidents in progress by calling 999.
People are warned not to approach anyone suspected of taking part.
Witnesses should instead try to gather information where it is safe to do so, including the location, vehicle type and colour, number of people involved and whether dogs or weapons are present.
Photographs and video footage can help secure a successful prosecution, but police have stressed that people should not take unnecessary risks to obtain evidence.
Suspicious activity could include 4×4 vehicles being driven quickly across open land, lurcher-type dogs, flashing lights from lamps or groups gathering on open farmland.
Anyone witnessing hare coursing in progress should call 999. Other suspicious activity can be reported online or by calling 101 and mentioning Op Galileo.
