Hare coursing and pheasant catapulting: police catch poachers in Leighton Buzzard area
Police nicked poachers near Leighton Buzzard and Bedford – and prosecutions are under way.
Beds Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) caught the criminals red handed during patrols this month.
They stopped poachers hare coursing in Stewartby and seized their vehicle.
They also tracked down poachers who were catapulting pheasants in Steppingley – and who then went on to scope out an equestrian yard in Milton Bryan, "presumably to steal horse tack". The RCAT seized their vehicle in Tilsworth.
The RCAT said: "Prosecutions being worked on. The RCAT hunt in a pack and they all have different skill sets. Each skill helps prevent or detect rural or wildlife crime, and if they can't prevent it, they can track them down and prosecute them, seize their hare coursing dogs, take their vehicles, or disrupt them in as many ways as possible."
The poachers were caught during the weekend of October 5.
The RCAT added: "The poachers' world is getting smaller and the RCAT are proud to do their bit to make their world smaller."