Suspect deer poachers smashed through gate in police escape
Suspected poachers dramatically fled police when they smashed their vehicles through a gate to escape the officers.
Police spotted the three vehicles - all with spotlights on their roofs - parked up in Chester Road in Enville on Saturday at 10pm.
But as the officers approached, the 4x4 vehicles were driven away at speed before one smashed through a gate toward Million Wood.
They all then fled in the vehicles along a bridleway, managing to flee from the one police car.
Faye Burton, who heads up the Staffordshire Rural Policing Liaison Group, said poaching was on the increase in the county.
She takes part in covert operations with officers to catch poachers.
She said: "Before Christmas we saw the number of deer poached go up as people wanting venison.
"It is a hard issue to come up against, but we are trying our best by working as a network with police.
"It is not just deer, we are seeing hare and badgers also being targeted. For some of them, it's a game."
Anyone with information on poachers should call police on 101.
