Balaclava-clad hare coursing gangs terrorise rural communities as FOI reveals almost 1,800 police reports made last year

EMBARGO: 22.30 Monday 28th April

• Liberal Democrat FOI reveals extent of hare coursing epidemic, with five forces seeing reports rise 100% or more between 2023 and 24
• 20 of the 33 forces that responded saw an increase in hare coursing, a rising problem which Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has described as “terrorising rural communities across our country”
• The party has been calling for a Countryside Copper Guarantee to crack down on rural crime.

A Freedom of Information investigation by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the shocking extent of hare coursing as 1,793 reports were made across England and Wales last year.

The police force with the highest number of reports made about hare coursing was Lincolnshire, which saw a whopping 479 reports in 2024. In Hertfordshire, 190 hare coursing reports were made. 

20 of the 33 police forces that responded saw an increase in the number of hare coursing reports made last year compared to 2023. This includes Merseyside Police Force with a 333% increase in reports, and Cheshire Police Force, which saw their hare coursing reports quadruple. Similarly, Cambridgeshire saw its number of hare coursing reports increase by 125%. 

This is just the latest data to show the shocking extent of rural crime. NFU Mutual estimates that the cost of rural crime increased to a staggering £52.8 million in 2023 - up nearly 22% since 2020. 

Both Conservative and Labour governments have failed to bring forward a strategy on tackling rural crime, despite the Liberal Democrats pushing for one since 2023.

The Liberal Democrats have been calling for a Countryside Copper Guarantee which would see dedicated rural crime teams or specialists embedded in every police force - including a dedicated rural crime police lead for communities to report rural crimes to. The party is also calling for police forces to be given better equipment to track rural crime including drones, and training for 999 call handlers to better understand rural crimes.

This would be funded by scrapping Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) so the savings could be invested in frontline policing, including ensuring that every police force has a properly resourced rural crime team.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“Balaclava clad criminal gangs are terrorising rural communities across our country, tearing across fields and threatening local residents. And for far too long, rural crimes like hare coursing have not been treated with the seriousness it deserves.

“As voters head to the polls this week, they know that a vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to support rural communities who have been neglected and ignored - first by the former Conservative government and now by the Labour one.

“Liberal Democrats will continue to fight so that rural crime is taken seriously - and we will continue to push the Government to implement our Countryside Copper Guarantee.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

FOI data from police forces on the number of reports made that included the phrase ‘hare coursing’ in the calendar years of 2024 and 2023 can be found here.