'Lives put at risk' by hare coursing 4x4 convoy

Dozens of 4x4s connected to hare coursing put lives at risk and caused thousands of pounds of damage when they drove dangerously through the Fens, police said.

About 25 speeding cars, reportedly driven by men in balaclavas, swept through Manea and surrounding villages in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

Local Conservative MP Steve Barclay said the perpetrators of the "shocking criminality" - which included a shop theft and the wrecking of farmers' crops - must be "robustly tracked down".

"They could have killed someone, no two ways about that," said district councillor Charlie Marks, who witnessed the incidents in Manea.

"There was a total disregard for anyone in the village.

"It was absolutely shocking.

"We have got very upset farmers and residents."

Footage posted on social media showed vehicles racing through fields, destroying crops in their wake, with one person commenting she had seen the "lunatics" pull on to a main road at speed.

At least three damaged, mud-splattered cars were later found abandoned around Manea.

Farmer Robert Sears said the group had displayed "complete disregard and lawlessness" and he felt his land had been "violated".

"I blocked one of the entrances to the field with my car but they rammed it on the side," he added.

"There must have been at least 25 vehicles and about 60 people in them, charging down the road towards me, coming across the field," he added.

"They ripped up hedges and made a mess.

"These were life-threatening incidents.

"If I had my grandchild with me on that road, I really dread to think what would have happened."

Barclay, the Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire, said a public meeting at the Royal British Legion in Manea on Monday afternoon would give residents the chance to discuss their concerns with police.

"We need to ensure those responsible for these appalling crimes are robustly tracked down and prosecuted, and lessons are learnt from what happened," he said.

"It is clear this was organised criminals trying to hide their identity and they will do it again if not found."

Cambridgeshire Police said no arrests had been made and appealed for information, dashcam footage or CCTV.

"Up to 25 vehicles were seen, some in convoy, in various parts of the county," a spokesperson said.

"These included Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow, Littleport, Welney, Chatteris, Manea, Wimblington and Doddington.

"We understand the impact this has had on the community and we are investigating."

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.