Three men banned from keeping dogs after being caught hare coursing with lurchers in Scarisbrick
Three men have been banned from keeping dogs for three years after being caught hare coursing in rural West Lancashire.
Police were alerted by a member of the public to suspected hare coursing on land near Wyke Lane on the evening of November 1, 2024.
Officers from Lancashire Constabulary’s South Rural Task Force responded and detained the men nearby with lurcher dogs.
The trio were charged with:
- Hunting a wild mammal with dogs
- Trespassing with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs
- Being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs
- Entering land at night as trespassers with poaching equipment
The men charged were:
- Joseph Hodgson, 22, of Acheson Road, Tuebrook
- Mac Blackham, 19, of Yelverton Road, Anfield
- Ben Blackham, 19, of Townsend Lane, Anfield
They appeared before Preston Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday where they were sentenced.
Each received a community order, was ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months, and disqualified from owning dogs for three years.
They were also required to pay fines and court costs.
A spokesman for the South Rural Task Force said: “Hare coursing will not be tolerated in Lancashire.
“It is barbaric for the animals involved and extremely distressing for the rural community.
“We have further cases at court in the coming days and weeks, and we will continue to actively pursue all involved.”