Four Men Banned After Driving Hundreds of Miles for Illegal Hunt in Lincolnshire

A group of men who travelled across England to illegally hunt hares with dogs in Lincolnshire have been hit with criminal behaviour orders, dog bans and heavy financial penalties. The case highlights the growing fight against hare coursing across the UK, including England and the wider United Kingdom, where rural police units report a sharp rise in such offences during the winter season.

Illegal Hare Coursing Operation Exposed in Rural Lincolnshire

Four men who drove hundreds of miles across the United Kingdom to hunt hares on private farmland in Lincolnshire have been handed criminal behaviour orders after admitting to multiple offences linked to illegal hare coursing. Police were alerted early in the morning on 9 October, when a silver Mercedes ML was spotted coursing hares at Welland Bank near Market Deeping at around 07:30 GMT.
The men — Billy Saunders, 36, Noah Stanley, 54, Noah Stanley, 26, and Maurice Smith, 36 — all pleaded guilty to trespassing with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, as well as possessing equipment used for hare coursing. Their sentencing took place at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on 30 June, with proceedings continuing the following day.
Officers discovered six people crammed into the five‑seater Mercedes, including two children aged 13 and 16. Two greyhounds were found in the boot, alongside a catapult, a ball bearing hidden in a camouflage jacket, and a locking knife. Police also noted that the vehicle’s number plate had been deliberately smeared with mud in an attempt to avoid identification.
Investigators later uncovered what they described as “damning” video evidence on Saunders’ mobile phone, showing the younger Stanley releasing a greyhound to chase a hare across a muddy field.

🚓 Court Seizes Dogs, Vehicle and Equipment After Guilty Pleas

The court ordered the seizure of the Mercedes ML, the two greyhounds and all equipment found inside the vehicle. Each defendant was instructed to pay £3,375 in kennel fees, £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service, and a £114 victim surcharge.
Maurice Smith, from New Fairplace Hill in West Sussex, received the harshest penalty: a 10‑year ban on keeping dogs and 120 hours of unpaid community work, along with a decade‑long criminal behaviour order (CBO).
Saunders, from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, and both Noah Stanleys, from Shire Lane in Buckinghamshire, were each banned from keeping dogs for five years and ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work. All three were issued five‑year CBOs.
Under the terms of these orders, the men are prohibited from entering Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire with dogs or any equipment associated with poaching between 31 July and 30 April — the peak hare coursing season.

Police Warn That Lincolnshire’s Landscape Attracts Illegal Hunters

PC Chris Windsor‑Beck of the Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Action Team emphasized that the county’s flat, open farmland continues to attract illegal hare coursers from across the UK. He noted that offenders often travel from as far as the South East and the Midlands, drawn by the terrain and the potential for betting on coursing outcomes.
He added that rural officers are intensifying their efforts, responding to every report and working closely with landowners to deter offenders. “They are not welcome here, or anywhere else in the county,” he said.

📈 Hare Coursing on the Rise Across the UK: Additional Context and Statistics

Illegal hare coursing remains a significant issue across England and the wider United Kingdom, particularly during the winter months when fields are bare and visibility is high. According to data from rural policing units, Lincolnshire consistently records some of the highest numbers of hare coursing incidents in the country. In recent years, the county has logged more than 1,000 reports per season, prompting increased patrols and the use of drones, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and cross‑county intelligence sharing.
The UK government strengthened anti‑coursing legislation in 2022, introducing tougher penalties, including unlimited fines and prison sentences of up to six months. Despite this, rural communities continue to report organised groups travelling long distances — sometimes over 200 miles — to engage in illegal hunting, often livestreaming the chases for online betting syndicates.
Experts note that hare populations in parts of England have declined by up to 80% over the past century due to habitat loss, disease and illegal hunting. Conservation groups warn that continued pressure from coursing could further destabilize local ecosystems, particularly in regions like Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire where brown hares remain a key species.

🐕 Growing Concern Among UK Landowners and Outdoor Enthusiasts

Landowners across the United Kingdom, including in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk and Yorkshire, have expressed growing frustration over the damage caused by coursers. Illegal hunters often cut through fences, destroy crops and intimidate farmers. For many outdoor enthusiasts and legal hunters, hare coursing is seen as a threat to the reputation of responsible field sports.
The latest Lincolnshire case underscores the increasing willingness of courts to impose severe penalties, including dog bans and long‑term CBOs, in an effort to curb the activity. Rural police forces in the UK continue to encourage the public to report suspicious vehicles, particularly 4x4s and estate cars carrying lurchers or greyhounds during the winter months.