Shocking moment car gets crushed as police send stark message to poachers

Footage (click to play above) shows the moment a criminal’s car gets crushed - as part of a clamp-down on poaching. Police seized the Subaru 4x4, after they received late-night reports from the local community of hand lamps and vehicles lights shining on land near Tockwith. North Yorkshire.

Police officers responded immediately and stopped a Subaru Forester nearby – inside were two men, three lurcher-type dogs, and hand lamps.

Officer in the case PC David Mackay said: “This is just one example of the police response that rural criminals face in North Yorkshire. With the excellent support of the local community, we will do everything in our power to stop them. In this case, a financial penalty and the loss of a 4x4 vehicle should certainly make poachers think long and hard before coming here again.”

About 80 per cent of poaching incidents in North Yorkshire take place between September and February, often on farmland after crops have been harvested. Many offenders travel to the area from elsewhere in the region. Poachers travel in groups, with dogs, frequently in 4x4 vehicles. As well as being a wildlife crime, their activities can cause damage to fields, fences and crops, and put local communities in fear of violence.

As part of Operation Galileo, a multi-force operation to clamp down on poachers, suspicious vehicles will be stopped and checked, and anyone caught poaching will face a court appearance and prosecution – as well as the loss of any vehicles and equipment they’ve used.

“To help us do that, we can count on the continued support of our rural communities, so I encourage anyone who sees any suspicious activity to report it. Your information might be just what we need to stop rural criminals in their tracks. Make a report via our website, or dial 101, press 1 and pass information to our force control room. If you see a crime being committed, please dial 999.”