Three men arrested over alleged Cannock Chase deer poaching
A van carrying hunting dogs and a deer carcass was stopped by police in the latest county-wide crackdown on rural crime in Staffordshire, police said today.
Uniformed and plain-clothed police officers carried out late-night patrols across Cannock Chase in a bid to catch poachers in the act. The officers teamed up with park rangers, the RSPCA and experts from the the Staffordshire Wildlife and Countryside Group, carrying out numerous checks on vehicles and occupants around the area.
As a result three men, aged 22, 24 and 28, from Stoke-on-Trent, were arr-ested on suspicion of poaching offences after the van they were travelling in was found to contain the dogs and a deer carcass.
They have been bailed pending further inquiries.
There were also two cautions issued for possession of cannabis and one vehicle was seized for not having insurance.
The Road Policing Team also carried out checks on agricultural plant vehicles and machinery around the county, making checks against crime databases to identify stolen property.
Supt Dave Holdway, force lead for rural crime, said: "Wildlife and rural crime can affect a wide section of our communities and we are determined to raise the profile of this often under reported area of crime.
"The arrest of individuals believed to be involved in poaching puts out a clear message that crimes against wildlife will not be tolerated in Staffordshire and we will take action against individuals involved in such activity."
Derek Crawley, chairman of the Staffordshire Wildlife and Countryside Group, said: "The only way to stop rural and wildlife crime is to report it. Every small piece of information can lead to getting a clearer idea of what the bigger picture is."
