Cracking down on countryside criminals – hare coursers

When I talk to people across our diverse county, I come away with the impression that those who live in the far ends of Gloucestershire, in our rural communities, can sometimes feel left out of policing.

That our towns and city get all the attention and investment. When in fact we are a predominantly rural county. That is why I welcome the tougher sentencing guidance for hare coursing offences that came into force on 1 June 2026.

Hare coursing, if you didn’t already know, is when criminals release dogs, typically sighthounds such as greyhounds, whippets, or crossbreeds like lurchers, to chase hares by sight rather than scent. The activity can be competitive, where dogs are judged on their ability to run, overtake, and turn a hare, rather than simply capturing it. Often these brutal activities are filmed or live streamed and people online can bet on the dogs.

It is cruel, barbaric and very much illegal, but we still see a fair amount of it taking place seasonally in our county.  

Hare coursing is serious criminal behaviour that causes significant harm to our rural communities.

Too often in the past, hare coursing is dismissed simply as a rural nuisance. In reality, it damages property, harms wildlife, intimidates farmers and landowners, and is frequently linked to organised criminality and extreme violence. The impact on those living and working in our countryside can be profound.

The new framework gives courts clearer direction when sentencing offenders, taking into account both the level of harm caused and the offender’s culpability. Greater weight is now given to factors such as planning, intimidation, threats, financial motivation, damage to land and crops, and harm caused to people and animals. In the most serious cases, this can result in custodial sentences that better reflect the true impact of these offences.

The guidance properly reflects what rural communities have been telling us for years: that organised groups travel into our counties, causing damage, distress and fear, often for financial gain. It is right that courts now have a framework that recognises both the level of planning involved and the real harm caused.

These guidelines will only deliver the change our rural communities need if they are consistently understood and applied across the justice system. Everyone involved, from policing and prosecution through to the courts must be aware of the full range of powers available and confident in using them.

By combining stronger legal tools with effective enforcement and partnership working, we can better protect our Gloucestershire countryside.