Lib Dem leader's warning over hare coursing gangs

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has called for a "comprehensive rural crime strategy" after major concerns were raised about hare coursing.

The BBC reported on Tuesday that some farmers had warned someone would be "killed" as criminal gangs hold illegal meetings in the countryside.

A day later during Prime Minister's Questions Liberal Democrats' leader Sir Ed Davey said more needed to to be done to tackle the issue.

"Criminal gangs are terrorising rural communities across our country, from Cambridgeshire to Devon, from Oxfordshire to Wiltshire," he said.

"Men in balaclavas are threatening and abusing farmers as these criminals tear across their fields in 4x4s," Sir Ed added.

"Farmers are warning that it's only a matter of time before someone is killed, so does the Prime Minister agree with me that we must act urgently against this appalling criminality?"

His comments echo those of farmers who spoke to the BBC, with one couple describing how they had been surrounded by a hare coursing gang on their remote farm just off Salisbury Plain.

"These are people who would quite happily wipe you off the face of the earth without a second glance," the farmer said.

In Parliament on Wednesday Sir Ed called for a "comprehensive rural crime strategy so we can not just stamp out hare coursing but keep our rural communities safe from all crime".

In his response Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the situation facing farmers as a "matter of deep concern".

"We're already developing a rural crime strategy but we'll happily work with him and others to develop it further," he said.

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