Five men suspected of using ferret to ‘poach’ in rural Oxfordshire caught by police

The men were caught by Thames Valley Police rural crime taskforce in Duns Tew, a rural area near Banbury and Bicester, with a ferret. 

Police constables Tillyer, Uren and Butler dealt with the suspects by issuing community resolution and community protection warnings. 

READ MORE: Support for Minster Lovell shop after devastating burglary 

Poaching is the illegal hunting or capture of wild animals that are protected by law or not owned by the person hunting them. 

Ferrets are sometimes used in “ferreting”, which involves using the animals to flush out and capture rodents, particularly rabbits, from their burrows.

The rural crime taskforce added that they also spent time on Sunday, January 12, attending a car boot sale and supporting a neighbourhood search for hare coursers near Wantage. 

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