Three men have been arrested after police were called to reports of suspected hare coursing near Barbury Castle.
Wiltshire Police officers were called to the area at around 1pm on Wednesday, 2 September, after a vehicle was spotted in a field with a dog apparently pursuing hares.
The vehicle left the field before it could be stopped, but officers from the Swindon Neighbourhood Policing Team later located it and pulled it over.
The three occupants were arrested on suspicion of trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, as well as being equipped to search for or pursue hares with dogs.
All three men have since been released on bail while police continue their enquiries.
Hare coursing involves using dogs to chase and catch hares and is illegal in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004.
The arrests follow concerns about illegal hare coursing and associated trespassing in rural areas around Swindon and Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Police has urged anyone who witnesses suspected hare coursing to report it to the force.
