TWO men from Grays are among those facing trial after recent action by Cambridgeshire Police who disrupted a hare-coursing meeting in the county in January.

Twenty-five men have been charged in connection with hare-coursing and the disorder that took place at the event on Saturday, 25 January.

Assisted by other forces, including Essex, Cambridgeshire officers have carried out extensive inquiries in the weeks and months since, including arrest warrants across multiple counties.

A total of 43 individuals have been arrested and one juvenile voluntarily interviewed. Of those, 25 have been charged with a combination of 39 offences.

They include Anthony Coyle, 32, of Pilgrims Lane, Grays, who has pleaded not guilty to attending a hare coursing event and will appear at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on 26 February for trial.

Also on trial on that date will be Francis Coyle, 20, again of Pilgrims Lane. He pleads not guilty too.

Detective Inspector Matthew Selves, who has led the investigation, said: "Following a thorough investigation into incidents of hare coursing and violent disorder that took place in January this year, 25 individuals have been charged.

"Over the past two weeks, 24 of those have appeared in court. Some have entered guilty pleas, while others have pled not guilty and will now face trial. This marks a significant step forward in the investigation and the judicial process.

"We recognise the serious impact these events had on our communities and the devastation they caused.

"From the very outset, we made a clear commitment to carrying out a robust and comprehensive investigation.

"Reaching court demonstrates our determination to deliver justice and to show our communities that we will not tolerate such behaviour."