Poachers caught hunting with dogs, knives and slingshots on edge of Wolverhampton

Four men, who live at Oak Tree Caravan Park in Featherstone, were found 'lamping' in nearby land off Dark Lane.

They were reported to police after the landowner saw lights in his field shortly before midnight on October 29 last year.

Cannock Magistrates Court heard how the four men had been hunting on land with the permission of the owner but that their 'route' took them through a field belonging to another individual.

Mrs Emma Thompson, prosecuting, said: "The police were called at 11.45pm on October 29 by the owner of that land.

"He believed poachers were on his land and the police later located all four men in a field. They were found to have hunting equipment including knives, two lurcher dogs and slingshots.

"They later made full and frank admissions and said they had killed numerous rabbits and were unaware their actions were unlawful."

Ron Ayres, aged 24, Daniel Davies, 23, Mitchell Davies, 27 and Tony Smith, 20 appeared before magistrates in Cannock on Wednesday.

All four pleaded guilty to hunting wild rabbits with a dog without the permission of the landowner.

They were each fined £100, told to pay £135 in costs and also a £30 victim surcharge.

A fifth man, 20-year-old John Howard, had the case against him withdrawn by the prosecution.

Mr John McGregor, defending, said that there was nothing 'untoward' with what happens to the rabbits that are killed following such hunts – and that the men planned to eat them.

He added: "This is all quite emotive language. They were not in red coats riding horses. All they were doing was lamping.

"Rabbits are seen as vermin in many instances and people have to pay others to come to their land and to get rid of them," he added.

"The owner of the land adjacent to where they were found had given these lads permission to go on the land and hunt rabbits.

"Their route may have taken them through a field owned by another individual who contacted the police after he had seen a couple of lamps.

"This offence is because they didn't have permission to hunt rabbits on that land at that time."

Mr McGregor told the magistrates he was surprised the case had ended up in court.

He said: "Their family traditions involve field-craft. They eat the rabbits. It is not as if they throw them away as such.

"There is a sport and a skill element in what they were doing too. I'm surprised they have gone looking for convictions."

Chair of the magistrates' bench, Mr John Reynolds, passing sentence on the men, said: "This is not something I want to see you back here for again."

Oak Tree Caravan Park, off New Road, is around a mile from Dark Lane.