Man arrested over 50 dead hares dumped outside village shop

A man has been arrested by police investigating the discovery of 50 dead hares that were scattered in front of a community shop in a Hampshire village.

The dead mammals, along with the bodies of a barn owl and a kestrel, were found dumped outside Broughton community shop on 15 March.

Police said examinations of the owl and kestrel – both of which are legally protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 – revealed the birds had been shot with a gun.

The barn owl and kestrel carcasses were “stuffed” on the door handles and blood was smeared on the windows, the shop’s treasurer said.

A 37-year-old man from Totton, near Southampton, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of seven offences and remains in custody, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, night poaching, killing of a schedule 1 bird and killing of a brown hare in the closed season.

He has also been arrested on suspicion of committing an offence under the Firearms Act, an offence under the Public Order Act and an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

The force’s country watch sergeant, Stuart Ross, said: “Since this incident took place, we have been actively pursuing a number of lines of inquiry and working with partner agencies to establish the circumstances of what happened.

“We are grateful for the help we have received from the local community and we’d like to thank them for their patience while we investigate what happened.

“There may be some people with information who have not yet come forward, and if so, we would urge them to do so as soon as possible.”

In February, a decapitated deer was among wild animals found close to a primary school in a nearby village. In total, 25 dead animals were discovered on a road in the village of Awbridge, six miles from Broughton. The carcasses of pheasants and hares were found along with the deer, a local newspaper reported.

• The headline and some text of this article were amended on 29 March 2024 because an earlier version incorrectly said a man had been charged rather than arrested.