Three men have been charged in connection to alleged hare coursing in Moray.
Police Scotland have thanked the public for its assistance in relation to recent appeals for information.
Following investigations, officers have confirmed that three men aged 38, 34 and 19 years will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection to reported offences in the Fochabers and Urquhart area.
Constable Hannah Haywood, of the Buckie Community Policing Team, said: “Hare coursing is the deliberate hunting of hares with greyhound type dogs.
“It generally takes place in open fields when the crops are low and involves poaching and trespassing.
“It often causes the hare prolonged suffering and the dogs are run to exhaustion or injured in the process.
“I would appeal to the public to be vigilant and report suspicious persons, vehicles and activity.
“I would also encourage people to join the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme which will allow them to receive alerts about latest crime, safety and resilience news in your local community.
“Neighbourhood Alert is free to join just go to www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk and sign up to receive Alerts.”
Anyone with any information about hare coursing is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.