major police purge

[lucky 578]

Airborne assault on the poaching gangs

 

 

Edd Peacock, left, and Bill Tiplady of SkyWatch.

View GalleryFor years the remote farms spread across the east side of Yorkshire have attracted poaching gangs. But last weekend a major police purge began,

as Roger Ratcliffe reports.

 

The small airfield and a hangar containing small single-engined planes were hidden away behind a farmyard high on the Yorkshire Wolds. And at 7am last Sunday morning a few pilots gathered to wait for a phone call, like Second World War flying aces ready to scramble.

 

When they got airborne, in the parlance of those classic Battle of Britain films, they weren't exactly expecting to be vigilant for "Huns at two o'clock". What they'd be looking for, in fact, was more like poachers at eight o'clock, or nine o'clock, or at 10. Because mornings tend to be when the poaching gangs from industrial Yorkshire and the North-East arrive in four-wheel drive vehicles to illegally hunt for animals and game birds in the rolling fields of the East Riding.

 

Meanwhile, outside on a long, arrow-straight stretch of the B1249 back road between Driffield and Scarborough, the police had set up a spot check, pulling over 4X4s and vans to try and find poachers before they disappeared into the maze of unclassified lanes which spreads through the Wolds farmland.

 

Elsewhere, more than 30 farmers were out patrolling their fields, ready to report in the moment they came across any suspicious vehicles in isolated spots.

 

It was the first major anti-poaching operation mounted in East Yorkshire, and more are planned this autumn and winter. The co-ordinator, Sgt Dave Jenkins of Humberside Police at Driffield, deliberately made the operation highly visible. The main object of the day, he said, was to let poachers know that if they come to the Wolds from now on they are going to be under surveillance from the air as well as the ground.

 

Most poaching gangs are known to live in Teesside and the former mining areas of County Durham, or in West and South Yorkshire. The Goole area is thought to be a particular stronghold.

 

There are two main sorts of poacher. The first are known as "lampers" and arrive in darkness. They use an extremely high-powered torch – something like one-million candlepower – which plugs into their vehicle's cigarette-lighter. This beam is shone across a field until it picks up the shining eyes of roe deer, which are famously frozen to the spot by the bright light, at least long enough for the poachers' dogs – specially trained to bring down a deer – to be unleashed and sprint half-way towards them. The poachers then follow in their off-road vehicles, destroying crops and bringing down fences.

 

The second type are hare coursers. Hunting hares with dogs was made illegal in 2004, but it is still going on in East Yorkshire.

 

Typically, the hare-coursers are usually four in number. Three of them let loose dogs in a field in which a hare has been spotted, while the fourth uses a video camera to record the subsequent chase. Later, back in a pub near their homes, they will show the home-made video or DVD and drinkers will bet on which dog finally caught the hare. Occasionally, there have been up to 20 men found in a remote field, one of them a bookie.

 

"Leaving aside the fact that it's barbaric and causes pain and suffering to animals," said Sgt Jenkins, "it's illegal, and almost always accompanied by damage to land. The hare coursers don't give a damn about farming, leaving gates open to allow livestock to escape onto main roads. They're also out looking for badgers, so they'll do some badger baiting, or looking for game. Often, they steal property from farms if they get the chance."

 

The poachers don't even care about their own dogs. Last Saturday, a cross-bred lurcher used by coursers ran over a road and was hit by lorry. The poachers left it injured by the side of the road, and it was later put down by the RSPCA.

 

Which was one reason the organisation has been brought into the anti-poaching operation. At Sunday's roadside spot-checks, any dogs found in cars were examined for injuries which could be the result of poaching activities, such as bites from wild animals or gashes caused by barbed wire. Any dogs suspected of being used for poaching will be taken into RSPCA custody.

 

Since the majority of poachers tend to use fairly old vans and 4X4s, these were being targeted at the spot-checks. Anything deemed unroadworthy will be seized.

 

Customs officers were also involved, checking diesel fuel for illegal use of neat or laundered red-dyed diesel – which is sold with only a fraction of VAT included and can only be put into the tanks of agricultural vehicles.

 

In the end, Sunday's anti-poaching operation did not find a single poacher, but Sgt Jenkins hadn't really expected to make any arrests. News of the operation had quickly spread. One or two men who'd been stopped had quietly got out their mobile phones and made calls.

 

Later, the police operation had moved to the Wolds Game and Country Fair being held at nearby Sledmere House, with leaflets handed out to the numerous dog owners at the event.

 

"The message we were getting across was, that if you come to East Yorkshire to poach then you'll stand a good chance of being caught and having your dogs and vehicles seized," said Sgt Jenkins.

 

Back at the airfield, the volunteer pilots – all of them local flying enthusiasts – did not find poachers at one o'clock, or any other time.

 

But Edd Peacock, one of the organisers of a local scheme known as Sky Watch – helping police, coastguards and rescue services to search from the air – said the initiative would be in pilots' minds every time they flew over the Wolds.

 

"We'll be looking for vehicles parked in quiet locations, and we'll be scanning the fields," he said. "We can see an see an awful long way from two thousand feet."

 

n If you have information relating to poaching in East Yorkshire, or would like to join Poacher Watch, contact the Driffield Neighbourhood Police Team on 0845 6060222.

 

Farmers on the front line

 

Ralph, who farms 1,000 acres high on the Yorkshire Wolds, doesn't want his surname printed because he's been threatened by poachers in the past and even had a gypsy curse put on him by one from Teesside who he had confronted.

 

He fears poachers will resent him speaking out against them, look him up in the phone book and target his property.

 

Earlier this month, Ralph found that poachers in a 4X4 had bulldozed a gate and smashed down a wire fence while following their dogs from field to field in hot pursuit of a roe deer. On another day he came across the innards of a doe – including the fetuses of two unborn fawns – after poachers had butchered the animal where it died.

 

Ralph regularly patrols the B-roads and unclassified back-lanes around his farm looking for parked vehicles.

 

"You usually see two or three of them at the side of the road and a gang of men walking across a field with lurchers. When I tackle them they say they're just walking the dogs. Later I might find a dead hare that's been slung over a hedge."

 

Ralph is one of 30 farmers in the Driffield Area to join Poacher Watch, a long-term operation to stamp out illegal hare coursing and deer hunting.

 

Farmers telephone police with the registration numbers of any suspicious vehicles, and carry disposable cameras to get photographic evidence of poachers caught in the act.

 

well what a waste of resources, not one single arrest, i'd love to know how much that operation cost

[Guest WILF]

Yep its bollocks allright.......just a good job that I have vast permmission.

[lucky 578]

no doubt the old bill will have dished a few fines out through-out the day, just to cover the costs, they've got fines attached to just about everthing these days, like the new one there bringing out making it illegal to smoke while driving your car lol... how long will it be before there dishing out fines for talking to passengers or listening to the radio while driving...

[J Darcy 5,871]

Read about this in last weeks paper my mate sent me down....

Got to laugh...They are having a go bless 'em....but they sound like a set of simpletons to me...

the quote

 

"They're also out looking for badgers, so they'll do some badger baiting, or looking for game. "

 

just tells me that these people have absolutely no understanding of country pursuits....

 

Its just a publicity stunt...im sure within a month or so the lads will be back doing their own thing again...

 

just a load of public money wasted....

 

Shame really....pity they arent so efficient when old people are getting mugged every day...

[lucky 578]

i liked this bit best...

"Typically, the hare-coursers are usually four in number. Three of them let loose dogs in a field in which a hare has been spotted, while the fourth uses a video camera to record the subsequent chase. Later, back in a pub near their homes, they will show the home-made video or DVD and drinkers will bet on which dog finally caught the hare. Occasionally, there have been up to 20 men found in a remote field, one of them a bookie."

[Guest Frank]

Unfecking real. What a bunch of ignorant c**ts!!!!!!

Their is young children, getting sexualy abused, inocent folk getting muged, joyriders, drunks killing more folk. What gets done about it,

 

FECK ALL!!!!. Thats what!!

 

Some one said on here, men go out to fight for their country, why bother?

 

Glad im here, but how long, will it take for our sheep headed polititions over here, to play ''lets do that too''

 

The whole thing stinks.

[gavmac 0]

Darcy right its just a publicity stunt as the average Jo public will believe all this rubbish.

 

At Sunday's roadside spot-checks, any dogs found in cars were examined for injuries which could be the result of poaching activities, such as bites from wild animals or gashes caused by barbed wire. Any dogs suspected of being used for poaching will be taken into RSPCA custody.

[Boom 0]

no doubt the old bill will have dished a few fines out through-out the day, just to cover the costs, they've got fines attached to just about everthing these days, like the new one there bringing out making it illegal to smoke while driving your car lol... how long will it be before there dishing out fines for talking to passengers or listening to the radio while driving...

 

thats just another way for the government to make cash just like the drunk and disorderly act.....

Edited October 3, 2007 by Boom

[Paul in North Lincs 15]

"Leaving aside the fact that it's barbaric and causes pain and suffering to animals," said Sgt Jenkins, "it's illegal, and almost always accompanied by damage to land. The hare coursers don't give a damn about farming, leaving gates open to allow livestock to escape onto main roads. They're also out looking for badgers, so they'll do some badger baiting, or looking for game. Often, they steal property from farms if they get the chance."

 

 

how dare they tar all poachers with the same brush :whistling: .......................luckily we have around 19,000 acres of permission on which to run our dog......so anyone who approaches us will get the big c*nt off

[Guest john2007oliver]

Best fairy tale i've ever read

[sighthound1811 6]

what a surprise !!! they didn't catch one person....how much will this an other operations of the same kind cost????? my greyhound has got 2 scars on her back leg..so my dog will be confiscated because of this..even though the scars were picked up in a fight with another greyhound in the kennel she was in before i got her!!! what chance have i got of convincing the police of this!! f***ing zero chance!!!thats what.an in all honesty the police in england seem to be a little more relaxed in attitude than their scottish counterparts who like to act as judge,jury an executioner as soon as they see you with any type of running dog..WORD TO THE WISE ..i know a lot of you lads are like me an catch the dogs doin things on mobile phones BEWARE..the police up here have started checking peoples mobiles for either pictures or video footage of dog related stuff..so just be careful what your doin,it could end up gettin you arrested even if your not in possession of game or otherwise..cheers...chris.(ps bet you the drug dealers an house breakers had a field day when this was in motion,all the police out of town,well done lads thought it through well there)

[Guest Frank]

"Leaving aside the fact that it's barbaric and causes pain and suffering to animals," said Sgt Jenkins''

 

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Sounds like an anti to me, bringing his own personall feelings into his job?

[sighthound1811 6]

"Leaving aside the fact that it's barbaric and causes pain and suffering to animals," said Sgt Jenkins''

 

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Sounds like an anti to me, bringing his own personall feelings into his job?

a confict of interests...shouldn't be in the job if he can't stay impartial..

"we didn't expect to catch anyone" why f***ing bother with all the expense an waste of resources that could have been put to better use elsewhere in the community then...an these are the morons who are controling our country !!!!

[Tommy 9]

What a waist of fecking time Sending a fecking helicopter is bad enough but having a special plane for the job

 

Us dog lads should also employ EXTREME MEASURES and start taking a big fecking gun out with us and if that shitting multi coloured planes comes hovering about :laugh:

Surely other countries must be amazed at the laws over here

 

ATB TOMMY :)

[witton 6]

What a load of bollox, And a waste of time and money they didnt even catch anyone Some one has been lamping out of a sub round my way after the fallow, Took out 2 gates. Its a shame all it does is hots it up for everyone else. I dont leave any trace that iv been there. Im thankfull for the sport, and feel that the least i can do is leave the land the way i found it.

Witton