Hare coursing suspect arrested in Faversham after police use stinger device

Hare coursing — the illegal pursuit of live hares by sight hounds — is banned under the Hunting Act 2004, which makes it an offence to participate in, attend, support, or allow land to be used for such activity. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 strengthened the legal framework by introducing specific offences of trespass with intent to pursue hares and being equipped to search for or pursue hares, each carrying a maximum penalty of up to 51 weeks’ imprisonment and a fine, according to Crown Prosecution Service guidance.

Kent Police’s Rural Task Force focuses on rural wildlife crime across the county. According to the Office of the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, the unit prosecuted 14 people for poaching offences and seized 15 vehicles used in connection with those offences during a single four-month period in one shooting season.

No further details about the suspect or the specific circumstances of the arrest — including the time of the incident, the age of the individual or the number of animals involved — have been confirmed by Kent Police.