Hare coursers flee after car nosedives into ditch

An investigation is ongoing after a car suspected of being involved in hare coursing crashed into a ditch.

Police were called to French Drove in Thorney, Peterborough, at about 11:53 GMT on Thursday after the vehicle crashed.

Witnesses said they saw three men in the area, but they could not be located when officers arrived.

A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: "Hare coursing is illegal and something that our Rural Crime Action Team work hard to tackle, but in order to do so, they need your reports."

Hare coursing was made illegal in the UK as part of the 2004 Hunting Act, which also banned other forms of hunting with hounds.

It is a competitive blood sport that involves dogs chasing the animals by sight before catching and killing them.

The illegal sport is an animal welfare issue and can affect farmers and landowners, due to vandalism of property, loss of income, theft and intimidation, says the Crown Prosecution Service.

Other implications are road traffic issues, including the driving of unlicensed and uninsured vehicles.

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