Dogs used to illegally hunt deer and hares in Lothians

PACKS of dogs are being used to illegally hunt wild deer and hares in growing numbers in the Lothians, police warned today.

The cruel sport has resulted in animal carcasses found ripped apart in at least eight incidents during recent months.

Reports have also been made of gangs of hunters fleeing rural locations after being spotted by suspicious farmers or passersby.

Constable Jim McGovern - who was appointed Scotland's first full-time wildlife crime officer last May - said he was worried by the trend. Animal welfare charities also condemned the practice and urged the public to report the culprits.

Incidents of hare-coursing were reported to police four times in East Lothian during November and December. Another two incidents were reported in West Lothian in December and February after the bodies of dead hares were discovered. And witnesses reported a deer being hunted by a pack of dogs in the Pentland Hills in January, although the animal escaped without injury.

Hares were hunted and killed in a separate incident in the area during the same month. The hunting of wild mammals with dogs is banned in the UK, and carries a maximum punishment of six months imprisonment and a £6000 fine.

Pc McGovern said they typically use lurcher-type dogs to hunt, while vans or people carriers provide transport.

He said: "Over the past 12 months there has been a marked increase in the number of reported incidents of hare-coursing in the Lothians, particularly East and West Lothian.

"The method generally employed by those involved in this criminal activity is to tour rural areas and identify their prey in a field.

"The dogs chase the hares until the prey is caught then bitten to death, after which the carcass is generally discarded."

Pc McGovern, who is based at the force's Fettes headquarters, added that the coursing can also have an impact on other wildlife in rural spots.

He said: "Whilst the dogs are engaged in 'the chase' they are completely outwith the control of their handler and this could have serious implications for breeding livestock, if nearby.

"There are instances when pregnant animals may lose their calves.

"It is not uncommon for those who choose to challenge these criminals over their activities to be threatened with violence or suffer acts of arson and vandalism to their property."

But Pc McGovern urged farmers, land-managers and walkers to report suspicious behaviour to their nearest police station or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Doreen Graham, spokeswoman for the SSPCA, said: "These animals are literally being ripped apart. It's an extremely barbaric, cruel death.

"Unfortunately, we have experienced a rise in incidents of coursing recently. These are not people who are taking their dog out for a walk and their dog chases after a hare. They are carrying out a calculated, deliberate act which consigns an animal to a horrific death."

Pc McGovern supports six part-time divisional wildlife crime officers, and works as the point of contact for partnership agencies such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the SSPCA, as well as estate and landowners across the Lothians.