Written by Charlotte Cunningham
As the cost of rural crime continues to rise, the NFU is urging the government to take action and treat rural crime as a priority issue for rural communities. Charlotte Cunningham reports. At a recent roundtable meeting between the NFU, Defra, Home Office, police and other rural organisations, the NFU continued to press for legislative change that would make it easier for police to catch and prosecute criminals. As farmers reach the end of harvest, hare coursers will once again appear on remote farmland to carry out this illegal activity. Changes to the archaic 1831 Game Act is a simple example of bringing legislation into the 21st Century and making it fit for purpose, says the NFU. Currently, legislation relating to hare coursing doesn’t consistently give police and courts full seizure and forfeiture powers for dogs and vehicles, which are crucial elements of this illegal activity. They also can’t recover kenneling costs when dogs have been seized, and fines are capped at low levels. It’s the NFU’s belief that amending the law on hare coursing to give police and courts these powers would be a significant boost to properly enforcing the law and making it more difficult for criminals to…
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