Police seized two vehicles after being called to a suspected hare coursing incident in a field near Blyth.
Officers were alerted shortly after 8am on Sunday following reports of men and dogs in the field, along with a stranded vehicle.
Members of the new Neighbourhood Rural Crime Team found a Vauxhall stuck in mud and an abandoned Toyota Land Cruiser. Both vehicles were seized.
The driver of a third vehicle was reported for driving offences following an incident on roads in and around Blyth.
A fourth driver was issued with a Community Protection Warning covering five regional police force areas after officers found what police described as hare coursing equipment inside his vehicle.
PC Hollie Marsh, one of four members of the new team, said hare coursing could cause damage to farmland and put livestock at risk.
She said: “Hare coursing isn’t just an animal welfare issue. It also causes significant harm and distress to our farmers, who have their crops damaged and livestock put at risk.
“It is also an activity linked to violent organised criminal gangs, who use the suffering of animals to make money through gambling.”
Police said they were not aware of any hares being harmed during the suspected incident.
