Poaching
Wells Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team – Poaching Awareness
We’re asking our rural communities across the Wells area to be alert to potential poaching activity, particularly during the darker evenings and early mornings when offenders often operate.
Poaching is illegal and can lead to significant harm to local wildlife, farmland, and livestock. It frequently involves trespassing, property damage, and can be linked to wider rural crime.
What poaching can look like:
• Illegal hunting of deer, hare, or game
• Entering private land without permission to take wildlife
• Using lamps, lurchers, or other equipment to hunt at night
• Activity in fields or woodland outside permitted seasons
Signs to watch for in our rural villages and farmland:
- Vehicles parked in gateways, tracks, or laybys late at night
- Strong lamps or torches sweeping across fields
- Dogs or equipment associated with hunting
- People walking on farmland where they shouldn’t be
How to help us protect the countryside
Your reports help us build intelligence, plan patrols, and work with landowners to deter rural crime.
Call 101 to report suspicious activity
Dial 999 if you believe a crime is in progress
Reports can also be made online via the Avon & Somerset Police website
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us and our rural communities. Together we can help keep our countryside safe.
— Wells Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team
Actions
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22 March 2026
Wells Neighbourhood Policing Team – Rural Community Update
Wells NPT continue to work closely with our rural communities as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping the Wells area safe, informed, and supported.
Rural Patrols & Poaching Prevention
Our officers have been carrying out regular patrols across the Wells rural area to deter poaching and hare coursing activity. These patrols form part of our wider effort to address rural crime and protect local farmland, livestock, and wildlife.
We encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious activity, unusual vehicle movements, or signs of poaching to report it to us as soon as possible. Your information helps us build a clearer picture of what’s happening in the area and allows us to target patrols where they’re most needed.
Engaging With the Farming Community
Wells NPT remain committed to strong relationships with our local farmers and landowners. Officers have been attending locations across the rural patch to speak with members of the farming community, listen to concerns, and offer practical support and advice.
Rural Beat Surgeries
To make it easier for residents to speak with their local officers, we’ve been holding rural beat surgeries in villages across the Wells area. These sessions give community members the chance to raise concerns, ask questions, or simply get to know their local NPT officers.
A big thank you to everyone who has attended so far.
Future dates and locations will be published on our website—please check regularly for updates and feel free to drop by.Hare Coursing & Rural Crime Training
Our officers recently attended a Hare Coursing and Rural Crime training event delivered by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). The session focused on:
- The impact of hare coursing and poaching on farms
- The wider effects of rural crime on livelihoods
- How police and NFU can work together more effectively
- Best practice for prevention, reporting, and response
This training enhances our understanding of the challenges faced by the farming community and ensures we are equipped to provide robust, informed support.
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22 February 2026
Wells Neighbourhood Policing Team has been carrying out rural patrols across the Mendip area, focusing on community concerns around poaching and wildlife crime.
Officers have engaged with farmers and landowners to gather intelligence, and delivered reporting information to support rural communities in identifying and reporting suspicious activity. Recent rural crime training has also strengthened our ability to respond effectively to poaching and countryside offences.
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent beat surgeries and rural community meeting. Your insight continues to help shape our patrol priorities.
If you see suspicious rural activity — particularly vehicles or lamps being used at night — please report it via 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.