An 18-year-old man from Tonbridge was arrested and bailed after Kent Police used a stinger device to stop a fleeing vehicle on the A2 following a report of poaching near Faversham on 8 September.
Officers from the Kent Police Rural Task Force were already out on patrol near Faversham when they spotted a vehicle on Stalisfield Road they suspected was being used for hare coursing. The driver failed to stop when requested to do so. A short pursuit followed before the car was brought to a halt on the A2 using a stinger device. A catapult and a torch were found inside the vehicle.
The Tonbridge man, 18, was arrested and later bailed while enquiries continue.
Police Sergeant Ross Haybourne said the incident highlighted the effectiveness of the Rural Task Force’s proactive patrols, which have been increased at a time when hare coursing and poaching becomes more prevalent. He said that as fields are harvested, opportunist poachers take advantage of the open flat space to spot and harm animals, causing undue harm, distress and a painful death to wildlife, as well as disrupting farmers’ lives and damaging property including fencing and sown seeds.
PS Haybourne added that Kent Police is dedicated to rooting out such offenders and urged anyone seeing anything suspicious to report it as soon as possible so officers can act quickly.
Key information
- Report suspicious activity: Contact Kent Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
- Online reporting: Kent Police accepts reports via its website at kent.police.uk.