Poaching offences in Northumberland down by nearly 50%

Northumbria Police’s dedicated rural policing team was set up in June 2020, tasked with preventing and tackling rural crime, wildlife and poaching offences.

In that year, 616 poaching offences were reported across the region.

Since then, under the banner of Operation Hawkeye, police have been carrying out targeted activity across the north of England and Scotland alongside neighbouring police forces and partners.

They have been assisted by the force’s rural crime volunteers – a team of around 50 residents who feed directly into on-patrol officers if they see anything suspicious.

And the collective crackdown is making a difference.

In 2022, officers saw the number of reported poaching offences in Northumberland drop to just 312 – almost half the number from 2020.

Inspector Garry Neill, of Northumbria Police’s rural policing team, said: “A huge amount of work has been carried out by the whole team, our partners and volunteers over the last two-and-a-half years and these figures are testament to that.

“We are passionate about protecting those who live in the most remote areas of Northumbria and we know the impact that rural crime has on these communities.

“We will continue to pursue offenders using innovative methods and tactics, including our nine-force regional Community Protection Notices launched in November 2022 as one of the biggest anti-poaching crackdowns of its kind in the UK.

“Tackling and preventing poaching offences has been a priority for the team over the last few years. These offenders often use dogs to indiscriminately kill wildlife whilst leaving behind a trail of destruction by damaging fields and fences with vehicles.

“We will be looking to maintain the recent momentum and continue to hit rural criminals hard throughout 2023.

“As ever, we would ask the public to work with us. If you are a victim of crime or see anybody acting suspiciously, or you suspect them to be poaching in your communities, please report it to us."

Farmers and members of the rural community are encouraged to join Northumbria Police’s Farmwatch scheme.

The network is designed to alert residents to any criminal or suspicious activity, share crime prevention advice and provide a platform to circulate appeals for information.