HAMPSHIRE Constabulary’s Country Watch team is urging vigilance in at attempt to clamp down on hare coursing.

Deemed illegal under the Hunting Act 2004, hare coursing tends to start after harvest, in late August or early September, when large tracts of land are left without standing crops. And it is more likely to take place at dawn or dusk.

The most obvious sign is a group of vehicles parked in a rural area, by a gateway to farmland, on a grass verge, or on a farm track or bridle path. Call police on 101 if you see anything suspicious.