Busted! Four Men Caught Poaching Rabbits in Queenborough
Rural Officers Crack Down on Poachers
On Friday, 21 October 2022, Rural Task Force officers swooped on Thomsett Way in Queenborough after reports of poaching on private land. They caught four men in the act with eight Jack Russell-type dogs flushing rabbits from the reeds before chasing them.
Attempted Escape Ends in Arrest
A 33-year-old man tried to flee by diving into a dyke but was quickly detained. He was arrested for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order linked to previous poaching offences. Meanwhile, a 32-year-old got slapped with a Community Protection Warning, and a 29-year-old was handed a Community Protection Notice — both designed to stop repeat offending.
What the Warnings Mean
The Community Protection Warning acts as a first strike. Ignoring it leads to a Community Protection Notice, which strictly forbids trespassing or letting dogs off leads on private property. Break this, and arrest is next.
A 12-year-old boy with the group escaped punishment but was given a stern talking-to by officers.
Operation Galileo: Nationwide Poaching Clampdown
These laws span seven police forces, including Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, Herefordshire, Cambridge, and Bedfordshire. Together, they support Operation Galileo, a national crackdown tackling hare coursing and poaching. Backed by the Crown Prosecution Service, the forces share intelligence, use automatic number plate recognition, and seize dogs involved in illegal hunting.
