Farm gates smashed and crops destroyed by ‘gangs hunting hares’

“It’s a massive problem,” said Edwards, a beef and sheep farmer from Colwinston.

“We’re close to Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea – there are good links to the motorway and A roads so people can travel here.”

To access his own fields, the 45-year-old now has to use a JCB to move giant logs he’s placed in front of the gates.

“It’s got to the stage now that if we don’t put a log like that in the gateway they force access. We’ve tried chains and padlocks but they get cut off.

“We’ve had vehicles ram gates and smash [them] off their hinges, and then when they leave… we have animals out on the road”.

“Once we get into the autumn and we’re planting for next year, they leave ruts in the ground and they’re damaging the crops.”