Farmer terrorised by machete-wielding hare coursers

A farmer has told the BBC that hare coursers have chased him with machetes, locked him in barns and caused £30,000 in damage to his property since July.

Matthew Register said he had reported 198 incidents to Essex Police and described his land in Linsell, near Braintree, as being unsafe to work on alone.

Hare coursing is the illegal pursuit of hares by dogs and is usually fuelled by gambling.

Ben-Julian Harrington, the outgoing chief constable of Essex Police, admitted about tackling offenders: "We've not been as good as we should have been."

It followed Register telling him officers had previously refused to pursue criminals at his farm as they did not want to get muddy.

"They do this in broad daylight, they are not scared of us," he said.

Register said that on one occasion, brazen coursers pulled up in their car to thank him after they were finished.

The farmer, who looks after 1,350 acres (546ha) of land, described how the offenders had armed themselves with catapults and machetes in some incidents.

He has also been trapped in a barn, shoved off his bicycle and pinned against a tree.

Register added: "They come here to cause damage to anyone that gets in their way.

"It's not just damage to crops, it's the effects it leaves with us. It's the worry, the fear of going out onto the farm."

Both Essex Police and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said incidents of hare coursing had increased in 2025.

NFU vice-president Robyn Munt said there was "a lot of betting involved" and alleged there was Chinese involvement.

She said: "There are significant amounts of money involved in this crime."

While hare coursing, dogs are judged on how closely they can follow the twists and turns of the escaping animal.

When trespassing is involved, it can lead to the disruption of crops and damage to land.

Harrington was part of a police delegation that met with Register and farming representatives on Wednesday.

He said: "We want to reduce crime in rural communities.

"We want them to feel safe, we want them to be safe and we want to tackle the people that cause harm and hurt."

He said the meeting had been a valuable chance to listen to farmers - and he apologised to Register for his experiences.

However, he added: "I've also heard stories today about officers who've done some amazing things."

New guidelines published by the Sentencing Council on Thursday allowed judges to set the starting point for sentencing hare coursers at 18 weeks' imprisonment.

It also improved signposting to compensation and confiscation orders.

The four offences associated with hare coursing are:

• Trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs etc
• Being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs etc
• Trespass in the daytime in search of game
• Taking or destroying game by night.

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