On March 15th 2024 around 50 dead hares and a dead kestrel and barn owl were found dumped outside Broughton community shop in Hampshire, causing widespread revulsion and condemnation across the media (see here).
Two weeks later Hampshire Constabulary arrested a man on suspicion of a number of offences in relation to this incident (see here).
Yesterday, Hampshire Constabulary issued another press statement, as follows:
MAN INTERVIEWED UNDER CAUTION AS PART OF BROUGHTON WILDLIFE CRIME INVESTIGATION
Officers have questioned a second man in connection with an incident in which dead animals were left outside a shop in Broughton.
On the morning of Friday 15 March, police received reports that around 50 dead hares, a kestrel and a barn owl were found outside Broughton Community Shop in High Street.
Officers from the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Country Watch Team have been following various lines of enquiry as part of the investigation.
As previously mentioned, officers arrested a 37-year-old man from Totton on Thursday 28 March on suspicion of a number of offences, including criminal damage, wildlife and firearms offences.
He was subsequently released on police bail with conditions until Friday 28 June, pending further enquiries.
Yesterday (Tuesday 9 April), a 27-year-old man from Hythe attended a police station on a voluntary basis and was interviewed under caution. He remains under investigation.
Officers continue to investigate the circumstances of this incident.
Anyone who has any further information that may help our enquiries is asked to contact us on 101, quoting the reference number 44240111410, or via our website.
ENDS
UPDATE 14 August 2024: Man charged in connection to dumped hares and raptors outside community shop in Hampshire (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
[Ed: comment deleted as libellous]
Well, I see the “country born and bred” were going to try and justify this horrible offence, glad to see they were deleted.
Can not understand people like that.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx.
[Ed: ‘Country born and bred’ was not trying to justify the offence(s) – the comment was deleted because it assumed the second man interviewed was already guilty of the offence, despite not being arrested, charged, or found guilty by a court. Ironically, the same thing you have done with your comment]
My Apologies :-/
This case is a sad and depressing indictment of the state of affairs amongst the ‘country killing classes’. Putting aside the aggression of the act, no doubt inspired by a form of rage at being challenged over their behaviour, the sheer waste of life is distressing.
There was a time, not that long ago, when hares were at least valued as food and a haul of fifty of them would not only have been extraordinary but also valuable. Now it seems they are only killed for ‘sport’ and no other use can be found for them but to occasionally intimidate people. I guess selling them would risk being identified as an illegal courser.
The killing of the barn owl and kestrel seem indicative of a deliberate act of spite. Neither of these species are a risk to the game or other ‘recreational killing industries’.
Again, the difference between town and country is stark. If fifty dead cats, a budgie and a parrot were left outside a shop in town then the reaction from all would assume a seriously (and possibly dangerously) deranged individual was responsible.
I’m glad Hampshire police are taking this case so seriously. Nationally, though, we need to start to look more closely at what is happening in the countryside and apply the same levels of concern to this kind of behaviour. We need to ask ourselves why we continue to tolerate killing ‘for fun’ in the countryside simply because it’s ‘traditional’?
It’s a dark, sinister culture that leads to aggression and sometimes violence against people. As a long time rural resident, I feel increasingly alarmed by it.
I am so sick of the dishonesty of the hunting, shooting & fishing set: every opinion poll ever carried out shows that the majority of country people despise the killing of animals for fun and profit. It is time that we had an organisation that officially opposes xxxxx xxxxx of the Countryside Alliance (see Bonner’s xxxxx appraisal of the RSPB’s Hen Harrier survey today on the CA newsletter) and BASC.
An example of the CA’s xxxxx: I signed up to their newsletter on a “know your enemy” basis. They count me as a supporter as a result. The simple fact is that they have about 50,000 paying members from a rural population of 12.5 million people: they have no right to pretend to speak on our behalf. BASC only have about 150,000 members: I will lay odds that most of those are the actual shooters: i.e. rich townies who like shooting animals.
Well said old long dog and Simon and country born n bred even though deleted you’ve got it in a nutshell.And yes I know a townie who shoot things loves shooting hares on behalf of farmers who say they attract blokes with dogs on the land disgraceful.