Two men arrested on suspicion of multiple rural offences

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of multiple rural offences. Wiltshire Police say two men were seen acting suspiciously on private land after getting out of a black Mini parked in East Town, Steeple Ashton at around 12.30pm on Tuesday, December 5 with two dogs. Police were given descriptions of the men and the vehicle and they were stopped by officers.

The men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested on suspicion of daytime trespass in search or pursuit of game, going equipped to trespass with the intention to hare course and the intention of using a dog to search or pursue a hare. One of the men was also further arrested on suspicion of an outstanding hunting offence near Box on October 13. Wiltshire Police say they have been interviewed and released on bail while enquiries continue.

PC Marc Jackson, of the Rural Crime Team, said: “At this time of year, we see an increase in hare coursing and poaching activity across the county.

As part of our commitment to tackling hare coursing, Wiltshire Police has signed up to Operation Galileo which is a national operation to disrupt this type of activity, and we work closely with other police forces around the country to share information and intelligence on offenders who cause greatest harm to our rural communities.

“We are also working closely with those who live and work in our rural communities to continue to share information to allow us to stamp down on hare coursers and other associated crimes.”