A MAN found with blood and feathers in the back of his van has been detained by police.

Dorset Police Rural Crime Team detained the individual following a report of harecoursing in Dorchester.

Officers seized his vehicle and located “a lot of blood and feathers” in the back, as well as other items associated with poaching. 

They also found a dead hare in a field which the detained male had reportedly been trespassing in.

Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team was formed in 2016 in a bid to tackle rural crime.

Its officers have continued to make significant efforts to take down poachers within the region.

Sharing its latest results from Dorchester, the team wrote on Facebook on October 19: “The message is clear, don’t poach in Dorset.”