Poachers stopped by police in North Yorkshire told officers they had travelled to buy a dog at a service station

Three men who illegally travelled to North Yorkshire during lockdown to poach told police officers who stopped them that they had travelled to the county to buy a dog at a service station.
Police in North Yorkshire are cracking down on wildlife crime across the county.Police in North Yorkshire are cracking down on wildlife crime across the county.
Police in North Yorkshire are cracking down on wildlife crime across the county.

Police were called to reports that a blue Subaru Impreza was involved with poaching in the rural Bedale area at around 10am last Sunday, January 24.

Officers attended the scene and thanks to information from the caller they were able to locate and stop the car a short time later in Catterick Garrison.

Inside the car were three men and a number of lurcher dogs.

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The men told police they had come from County Durham to North Yorkshire to buy a dog at a service station.

All three were reported for breaching Covid-19 regulations and handed fixed penalty notices.

They were also issued with a dispersal order requiring them to leave the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas immediately. Officers also followed them to the border to ensure they did so.

Around 80 per cent of poaching incidents in North Yorkshire take place between September and February. Police patrol key routes so officers can respond swiftly to any reports, with networks of Rural Watch volunteers able to call in suspicious activity in real time.

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Even if poachers are not stopped at the time, they can expect to receive formal community protection notices – breaches of which will be prosecuted.

Inspector Matt Hagen, from North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “Far from being a victimless crime, poachers cause misery and fear in rural communities. They have no regard for farmers, and their disgraceful actions damage valuable crops as well as wildlife. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this criminality is even more unacceptable.”

Residents are encouraged to note down and report any suspicious activity, such as unusual vehicle movements, particularly in remote or isolated areas.