Northumbria Police have sent poachers a warning after posting a picture of the harsh reality of the crime.
The image, released by the Force’s Rural Crime Enforcement Team, shows four deer killed by poachers and police are now asking people to continue reporting suspicious behavior.
Inspector Garry Neill said: “Sadly, it is not uncommon for our rural communities to encounter views like this image, but we are working to change that and we are committed to tackling poaching.
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“Poaching can take many forms and can include the use of dogs to indiscriminately kill wildlife, often for betting purposes.
“Our specially trained rural crime volunteers – community members who share a passion for the countryside – work with officers to share intelligence, from CCTV to license plates of suspicious vehicles.
“This collaboration between the community and the agents makes poaching in Northumberland more difficult than ever. “
In 2020, police seized 40 poaching-related vehicles, issued 24 Poaching Interruption Notices and eight Community Protection Warning Notices (CPWNs), which set out certain conditions that must be met.
Last Saturday, following intelligence from a rural crime volunteer, CPWNs were served to two suspected poachers seen in the Bywell area.
The CPWN remains in place for 12 months and means that the beneficiary must comply with the following conditions:
- Must not drive a motor vehicle on a road other than a public road or a parking lot, except with the written permission of the owner.
- Must not allow any dog in its possession to stray onto private land – dogs must also be microchipped.
- Dogs must be kept under control and have a collar with the owner’s name and address.
- If you are allowed to hunt wild mammals with a dog under an exemption under the Hunting Act 2004 on any land in the Northeast Zone, you must ensure that you have a permit. written with you.
Police said anyone caught breaking the warning risked having their vehicle, equipment and even dogs confiscated, along with heavy fines.
Inspector Neill added, “Our rural volunteers and the wider community are really our eyes and ears and by working with officers and reporting suspicious activity, together we can make a difference. “
If you see anything suspicious and poaching could take place, call 101 and provide the location and description of the vehicle or license plate.
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