TWO men from Grays are among four charged following a hare coursing investigation by rural police officers.

Two of them were arrested in Essex by officers following a number of incidents of hare coursing and violent disorder across Cambridgeshire on 25 January.

A total of 25 men have been charged with a combination of 39 offences in connection with the incidents:

• Fredrick Butcher, 51, of Chelmsford Road, Ingatestone, has been charged with attending a hare coursing event.
• Freddy-Cole Butcher, 22, of Chelmsford Road, Ingatestone, has been charged with theft from a shop.
• Anthony Coyle, 32, of Pilgrims Lane, Grays, has been charged with attending a hare coursing event.
• Francis Coyle, 19, of Pilgrims Lane, Grays, has been charged with attending a hare coursing event. All are due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on 19 September.

A further 17 people – including three from Essex – have been issued with community protection notices (CPN) and community protection warnings:

A 28-year-old man from Colchester has been issued with a CPN while a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, both from Ingatestone, have been issued with warnings.

Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds, and was banned in England and Wales in 2004.

A statement from Essex Police says: "Together with surrounding forces, we have supported Cambridgeshire officers in their ongoing investigation. To date, a total of 43 individuals have been arrested and one juvenile voluntarily interviewed.