Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite is calling for a “national conversation” on hare coursing so that the “right deterrents” can be put in place.

Mr Ablewhite spoke in Parliament today (October 16) as part of CLA’s #HaltHareCoursing campaign.

Hare coursing has now been illegal for more than a decade, but most offenders are prosecuted under the 1831 Gaming Act.

The activity usually takes place at dawn or dusk with coursers often walking along the edge of fields to frighten a hare into the open, as well as using dogs.

Mr Ablewhite said that prosecutions “typically attract low fines” that are “often vastly outweighed by the money set aside by perpetrators to gamble with”.

He added: “I’m calling for a national conversation on hare coursing to ensure we can put the right deterrents in place.

“Cambridgeshire’s flat and rural landscape can make it a popular area of hare coursing.

“The illegal activity usually begins once fields have been harvested, causing misery to farmers and rural businesses alike, with damage to crop fields, irrigation systems and perimeter fences.

“And it is not just the physical damage, those who witness or become victims of hare coursing are often left distressed and intimidated.”