Increased rural patrols following surge in hare coursing

Between September 2024 and August 2025, hare coursing and poaching offences rose by 21.8%. But the Force is also arresting more people. Since January, 30 individuals have been arrested for hare coursing or poaching.

The courts have convicted seven offenders, issuing fines totalling £2,892 under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act. A further four cases are pending prosecution, sending a clear message: rural crime will not be tolerated.

On Monday, Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, joined officers from Wiltshire Police, local farmers and the media to raise awareness of the problems rural communities are facing and to work together to target those threatening to harm our communities.

Farmers described the impact of rural crime on their financial and emotional well-being. One farmer said they had been targeted in the Pewsey Vale area around 10 times in the last month. 

He told officers, "The impact on the farm is the trashing of crops and the cost of the added security. We've spent an absolute fortune on ditching and fencing, extra CCTV and lighting.

"Every single night, I go out and drive the perimeter of the farm to make sure gates are still locked and fences are still up and there are no lights where there shouldn't be lights.

"I know my wife has a bit of a moment every time I leave and says 'just be careful'.

"There's a lot of people who don't know what's going on and I'd like to ask anyone who sees anything suspicious to report it. If you see lights on in a field at night and they're not on a tractor, particularly if it's going at speed or you see guys getting out of a 4x4 with dogs, call the local farmer or call the police. The police are trying their hardest to catch these people but the crime is committed so quickly. We need as much information to support them as we can."

Another farmer described hearing noises just before he went to bed and saw two vehicles driving past his house down a dead end road. Moments later big lamps went on in a field.

Operation Ragwort targets criminal gangs involved in the theft of agricultural machinery, poaching, hare coursing, and fly-tipping and was set up by the five Police and Crime Commissioners in the south west after residents raised their concerns about the response to rural crime.

Philip Wilkinson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, is the PCC lead for rural crime in south west and sits on the board of the National Rural Crime Network: 

“The fact that we have people coming out with us from the rural communities, not only reassures them of the work being done to protect them from a very real threat, it also allows us to utilise their local knowledge.

“By working with our partners, the farmers and those who live in the rural communities, we can draw on their expertise and the expertise of the police to create a more composite approach.”

Wiltshire Police has utilised a whole-Force approach to try to tackle the growing problem, with specialised officers, Neighbourhood Policing Teams and intelligence teams taking part in Operation Ragwort.

Inspector Andy Lemon is the tactical lead for rural crime. He said,

“We’re mobilising neighbourhood officers, drones, CID and armed units to hit offenders at every stage.

"This sends a clear message that rural crime is treated with the seriousness it deserves, and we will not tolerate incursions on our countryside.

"But this is not something the police can tackle alone. We need residents to report suspicious activity as soon as they see it – either online, by calling 101, or in an emergency by dialling 999. This information helps build intelligence, target offenders and keep our countryside safe.”

Across the week officers have been engaging with the rural community, carrying out surveys around their concerns. High visibility patrols were also conducted in areas that have reported rural crime.

Wiltshire Police works with neighbouring forces as intelligence shows that a large number of suspects travel into Wiltshire from other areas to commit these offences such as Somerset, Hampshire, Sussex, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Cardiff, Kent and Bristol.

In the last 12 months Wiltshire Police has carried out a large number of rural operations to target criminals who focus on our rural communities. They include: