Poaching: Locals may ‘take law into own hands’ over poaching

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Locals may ‘take law into own hands’ over poaching

Some areas of Yorkshire have seen a dramatic increase in deer paoching.

By Barnaby Dracup

Thursday, 02 December 2010

Landowners in North Yorkshire fear an increase in poaching is getting out of hand as keepers undertake night patrols.

Landowners in North Yorkshire say a huge increase in deer poaching is being ignored by local police, with the owner of one well-known shoot admitting that local farmers are even considering acting as law enforcers themselves in an effort to control night-time trespass.

Derek Cornforth, of Long Plain Farm, Hambleton, near Thirsk, said: “The police don’t seem to understand the needs of the rural community. We make repeated calls to them but get a half-hearted response. We’ve even suggested to the chief constable that we ought to take the law into our own hands to protect our property.”

For the past 10 years, Mr Cornforth has overseen a programme of fencing, hedge planting and ditch-digging in an attempt to reduce unlawful activity on his property.

“The people who are unlawfully gaining access to our land have a wider criminal intent,” he said.

“Our biggest fear is that, unless we get effective rural policing, this situation will escalate and a rise in more serious crimes is inevitable.”

Gamekeepers in the area are now undertaking regular night-time patrols and provide the authorities with the registration details of suspicious vehicles.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “Police are aware of the problems with poachers and trespassing near Thirsk. Rural crime is a priority for us and we are doing all we can to address the problems. We welcome the information provided by local people and encourage them to continue to provide us with this valuable intelligence.”

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Comments

John Stockton

Fri, 3rd Dec 2010 17:49:43

Here in Lincolnshire it is a major problem with deer poaching at night. 4x4s tearing the crops to bits and they have no fear of the law. Most farms are isolated and there is little responce from the police. Most are well armed on their night poaching and have dogs that would attack any one. Perhaps the ones of use that shoot land should have a contact point where we could send information. I had one person on some land I shoot and he had three dogs with him when I chalenged him he said he wea walking his dogs. He had come from Rotherham