“Police are targeting poachers in the Ribble Valley as part of Operation Firecrest, a week-long crackdown on rural crime.
More than a dozen poaching incidents have been reported by local farmers and gamekeepers since May involving wild deer, hares and rabbits.
Recently a butchered Sika deer was found near Bolton-by-Bowland. The deer appeared to have been shot and butchered at the scene before being hidden to be collected later.
Ribble Valley’s Wildlife Crime Officer PC Carl Chew has sent out letters to around 20 people suspected of poaching within the area.
He said: “When we stop people, as we did in the early hours of Saturday morning, and a vehicle was found to contain hunting dogs and animal blood, this arouses suspicion. ”
Source : LEP – Lancashire Evening Post
To read full article : http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/police-train-sights-on-game-poachers-1-6150719
