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Hare Coursing Season Alert


As we enter the hare coursing season, Sussex Police Rural Crime Team are asking for your continued vigilance and support in helping us disrupt and investigate this harmful rural crime.

Hare coursing is a criminal offence that causes serious damage to farmland, wildlife and communities. It often involves organised offenders using dogs to chase or kill hares, trespassing across multiple farms, and causing criminal damage.

What to do:

1)      If you witness hare coursing in progress:

  • Call 999 immediately
  • Give the exact location, vehicle registration numbers, descriptions of people/dogs, and direction of travel
  • Once reported, please share the CAD number and details in your local group (e.g. WhatsApp or NW) to help link logs and improve officer response.

    • 2)      Only gather evidence (e.g. photos/videos) if safe to do so – your safety is always the priority, never put yourself at risk.

    3)      Please also report all other related activity, even if the offenders have left:

  • Vehicle tracks across fields
  • Damage to fencing or removal of gates/posts
  • Sighting of vehicles or individuals on private farmland
  • Lamping at night (use of lights to spot game)
  • Unusual presence of dogs or 4x4s in remote areas.

    • Even if it seems minor, every report helps police build a clearer intelligence picture across the county. Police believe hare coursing and poaching are more widespread in Sussex than current data suggests – your reports help police prove it.

    4)      Include as much detail as possible:

  • Date and exact time of sighting or incident
  • Specific location (with what3words or OS grid if available)
  • Descriptions of vehicles, people, or dogs.

    • 5)      Even if the crime isn’t ongoing, please report it to Sussex Police via 101 or online at: Report a crime | Sussex Police

    Thank you for your continued support. Your information is vital to protecting our countryside.

    Sussex Police Rural Crime Team

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    Message Sent By
    Derek Pratt MBE
    (NWN, MSA, Sussex)
    Neighbourhood Alert