Country Watch officers teamed up with Ministry of Defence (MOD) colleagues to patrol areas around Longmoor, Bordon and Bramshott earlier this month.
These areas have experienced incidents where motorbikes and quad bikes have been cutting across MOD land in order to access rural areas, where police suspect they are then carrying out offences such as non-dwelling burglaries, poaching and hare coursing.
Police teams across the county have been carrying out proactive operations to disrupt criminals operating in rural areas throughout Hampshire. The patrols on MOD land are just another element towards tackling this, and aim to target criminals using the area as a cut through.
The patrols will continue.
In addition, the MOD is also warning the public about the risks of accessing MOD land when military training is taking place.
During recent patrols no vehicles were found using the land, however a member of the public on foot was spoken with as they were walking on the land whilst military training was taking place.
Police want to remind people that if there is military activity underway, then there is no right of access for the public until the military exercises have finished. The Byelaws do not permit access for any vehicles at any time.
The force asks people to respect MOD land, and the Byelaws that are there to protect the military and the public.
The MOD’s message for people accessing MOD land in and around Longmoor, Bordon and Bramshott is clear; the public should only access military training areas when and where it is safe to do so and should exercise caution at all times. To help keep themselves and their loved ones safe, the MOD is asking the public to follow these steps:
- Look out for red flags and observe all signs and information.
- Only access MOD land when it is not being used for military training, and always avoid entering areas that are enclosed.
- Keep dogs under close control, in sight and pick up after them.
- Never touch any military debris (UXO), report these for safe removal.
For further information about accessing MOD land safely visit the gov.uk website.
Police are determined to tackle crime in rural areas, and urge communities to keep reporting any information about offences or suspicious activity in rural areas to them. Any bit of information they receive helps them get a better idea of what is going on, so they can target their resources accordingly.
In particular, police would like to hear from people who have seen quad bikes being driven in rural areas in suspicious circumstances, such as in convoy and at night.
You can report information to police by calling 101, or via the report tool at www.hampshire.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or by their anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
If a crime is in progress, call 999 immediately.