Three men are set to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on 17 June after being charged with trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, following an incident of hare coursing on farmland near Bullington Cross, Hampshire.
Three men are set to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on 17 June after being charged with trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, following an incident of hare coursing on farmland near Bullington Cross, Hampshire.
Police were called on the afternoon of 19 November 2024 to reports of hare coursing in progress on farmland north of Winchester. Officers, assisted by the police helicopter, detained three men at the scene. After further enquiries, the following individuals were issued with a summons to appear in court:
- Frank Wickens, 48, of Monks Hill, Westbourne, near Emsworth
- George Smith, 23, of Lyne Road, Virginia Water, Surrey
- George Mark Smith, 46, of Lyne Road, Virginia Water, Surrey
A police spokesperson said: “We encourage anyone with information on rural or wildlife crime to report this to police on 101, or via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website: hampshire.police.uk. If a crime is in progress, please dial 999.
“If you have a business connection to the rural and wildlife environment you may be eligible to join our DISC system, where you will receive regular updates on rural crime and can also provide information to police. Please email discreports@hampshire.police.uk.”
