Police are hunting for a group of balaclava-clad hare coursers who terrorised villagers (Image: Hertfordshire Police / SWNS / Councillor Charlie Marks)
A 30-strong band of balaclava-clad hare coursers who terrorised villagers and fire crews after driving their 4x4s through farmland are being sought by police.
The group ripped through fields, terrified locals, damaged two fire engines and stole fuel from a petrol station during a rampage across Fenland, Cambs.
The villages of Manea, Wimblington, Welney, Chatteris, Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow and Littleport were all impacted at the weekend.
A video posted to social media showed the hare coursers speeding off-road through fields and shouting.
Two fire engines were damaged in what has been described as an “appalling” and “shocking” spate of criminality on Saturday (January 25) when the group came across a firefighting training exercise.
:
Footage of several men that Hertfordshire Police are looking to speak to (Image: Hertfordshire Police / SWNS)
Sisco Service Station in Wimblington was also targeted after more than £200 of fuel, food and drink were stolen.
Cambridgeshire Police said the scale of the hare coursing incident was ‘unprecedented’.
A public meeting held in Manea on Monday (January 29) was called by Tory MP Steve Barclay and Manea Cllr Charlie Marks.
The meeting, attended by 300 people, heard how the convoy of 30 cars carrying dozens of balaclava-clad men ripped through fields and tore up crops.
Manea farmer Robert Sears said he had never seen lawlessness like it and had 25 4x4s driving up his narrow farm track outside his home.
Mr Sears had tried to face them down but said his “belligerence” had resulted in his car being rammed and other damage caused.
He said: “It’s not the damage to our property, it’s the violation suffered.”
Cambridgeshire Police said the scale of the hare coursing incident was ‘unprecedented’. (Image: Councillor Charlie Marks / SWNS)
Mr Sears made 999 calls and was told police would attend within three to four hours. He added: “That was Saturday morning, I am still waiting – that’s not good enough.
Farmer Matthew Latter was forced to barricade his family in their home after 70 balaclava-clad men and 30 vehicles took over his farm.
His family endured more than three-and-a-half hours of mayhem on the land around their home as he made numerous calls to police.
He said: “We had at least 70 people literally take over our farm from 1.30pm to 4pm. There were 13 4x4s.
“I called the police three times, I gave the What3Words coordinates of exactly where they were but we didn’t have any response – absolutely zero. My seven-year-old daughter was crying and was utterly terrified.
“My question is how bad does it have to be? They had cut through every single gate, moved every single concrete block.
“We have been left with four vehicles dumped, two have been burnt out, one is stuck but despite all of this we have yet to have a police officer come out to us.”
[COMMENTS] [EXCLUSIVE]
Leo Butler, from Chatteris, said he had never seen anything like what he faced on his farm as the criminals tore up his fields.
He said: “What I would like to know is where were the police – there were no helicopters, no police cars, not one police officer – nothing.
“If the police aren’t going to confront these people somebody’s got to.”
Cllr Marks, who witnessed some of the criminality in Manea, said it was pure luck that no one had been killed or seriously injured.
“We could have been mourning a member of our village today,” he said.
Mr Marks claimed one man had a pick axe handle and said: “You can only imagine what that meant if anyone happened to get in their way.”
Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner speaking to the packed hall of locals (Image: Fenland Citizen / SWNS)
Chief Constable Nick Dean said there was “no excuse” for the lack of response and that a regional-level enquiry is being launched to investigate what went wrong.
He added he had gone with his “gut feeling” over the allocation of extra resources and his comment that “I perhaps got it wrong in hindsight” brought laughter from the crowded hall.
Mr Barclay said he was pleased to hear the chief constable acknowledge the police mistakes and a promise there would be a regional-level investigation.
Local policing commander Superintendent Ben Martin said: “We understand the damage, concern and fear these incidents have brought to our rural communities and are sorry we were unable to do more to stop the activities of these people at the time.
“The information we had in advance of this gathering had very limited detail, so a force-wide dispersal order was put in place.
“However, due to the scale of the incident and the multiple locations where offences took place, as well as a significantly demanding weekend elsewhere in the county, meant we didn’t have the resources available to deal with every report we received from members of the public.”