Police & Council Team Up To Tackle Rural Crime

Police are teaming up with Council staff after a rise in illegal hare coursing, damage and flytipping in rural parts of the Harborough District.

Farmer’s gates, hedgerows and fencing have been damaged in the Cold Newton, Lowesby, Hungarton and Keyham areas by people trespassing on land who have turned aggressive when challenged by landowners.

Operation Arable is seeing Police officers work with Harborough Council’s Enviro Crime team, including using unmarked 4×4 vehicles.

One car was recovered and a driver dealt with for possessing cannabis during the first day of action.

Police & Harborouigh District Council are working together

PC Steve Winn, who helped to organise the operation, said: “We received some really positive feedback from local people in the villages where we patrolled who were really pleased to see us. We want to reassure people who live and work in the countryside that we are putting a larger than normal policing presence into these areas using marked and unmarked cars and plan to do so again in the near future. This should also act as a deterrent to people travelling to the area to commit crime.”

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet lead for environmental services, said: “This is positive joint working to target areas where there have been reports of issues and we will continue to take a proactive approach across the district, with Police, to identify offenders.”