Man arrested at M11 Birchanger Green services by police investigating suspected hare coursing at Saffron Walden farm

A man was arrested at the Birchanger Green services near Bishop’s Stortford by police responding to suspected hare coursing in Uttlesford.

Police received several reports of a suspect on foot on the southbound M11, disrupting motorists, before getting into the back of a van and travelling to the services at junction 8.

Now officers want to hear from the public with information about two men and two vehicles.

Police arrested a 22-year-old man from Dover at Birchanger Green services last Sunday (November 24) after receiving reports of hare coursing at a farm in Saffron Walden at about 8.15am.

The man was held on suspicion of hare coursing, possession of a bladed article and an offence under the Road Traffic Act. He has been released on police bail.

Officers from Essex Police’s rural engagement team and Cambridgeshire Police’s rural crime action team attended the farm, where suspects fled. A grey Subaru Forester was also seen leaving.

A spokesman for the force said: “We received several reports of a suspect on foot on the M11, causing disruption to motorists, before getting into the back of a grey Ford Transit van and travelling to Birchanger Green services.”

Police want to hear from anyone with information about the Subaru Forester in the Saffron Walden area at around 8.15am and the Ford Transit on the M11 near the services between 8.15am and 9.30am.

Contact the force if you also have information about a man trying to get into cars travelling south on the motorway near Birchanger Green between 8.15am and 9.30am or a man in his 20s at the services between the same times.

The latter man was wearing a black top, black trousers, green coat and muddy boots, with tattoos on his neck and hands. He may also have had a dark-coloured lurcher dog.

You can submit a report online via www.essex.police.uk/digital101 or call 101. Quote incident number 329 of Sunday 24 November.

If you would like to make an anonymous report you can contact Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or by visiting the independent charity’s website at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

WHAT IS HARE COURSING?

Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with dogs, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. Often this is a competitive activity in which substantial sums of money are bet.

As well as being an issue of animal welfare, offending to facilitate hare coursing can also have a wider impact.

This can include vandalism of property, loss of income for farmers and landowners, theft, intimidation and road traffic issues including the driving of unlicensed and uninsured vehicles.

Hare coursing can cause significant disturbance in the countryside and is a cause of serious concern to those who live in rural communities.