Increase in Rough Sleeping, Rural Crime Team Seize Vehicles, Driver's Eyesight & More
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Two vehicles seized by rural crime team after hare coursing alert
Two vehicles were seized after officers disrupted a suspected hare coursing incident.
Police were called shortly after 8am on Sunday after men and dogs were spotted in a field near Blyth, along with a stranded vehicle.
Officers from the new Neighbourhood Rural Crime Team travelled to the scene immediately and soon found the two vehicles: a Vauxhall stuck in the mud and a Toyota Land Cruiser that had been abandoned.
Both vehicles were seized, and the driver of a third vehicle was reported for driving offences following an incident on roads in and around Blyth.
The driver of a fourth vehicle, meanwhile, was also served with a Community Protection Warning covering five regional police force areas after hare coursing equipment was found inside.
The order formally links him to wildlife crime offences and gives officers additional powers to arrest him and seize items in the future.
PC Hollie Marsh, one of four members of the new team, 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.
"That is why we take reports of this nature so seriously and why we responded as we did in this case.
"As far as we know, no hares were harmed on this occasion, but it was certainly a very expensive and inconvenient morning for the people involved."
Inspector Rob Harrison, district commander for Bassetlaw and team lead, said:
"When we launched this new team, we did so exactly for this reason – to take a proactive approach to protecting our rural communities from harm.
I am delighted to see this approach is already reaping rewards and hope this incident serves to reassure our farmers about just how seriously we treat these offences."
The Neighbourhood Rural Crime Team, based at Ollerton Police Station, has been formed to further enhance Nottinghamshire Police's response to rural crime. Its members now focus exclusively on rural offences and work alongside around 40 other officers across the county who have received enhanced rural crime training.
NEWARK: Rough sleeping in district rises due to prison releases
By Joe Locker, LDRS
A rise in rough sleeping across part of Nottinghamshire is partly due to prison releases, it has been revealed.
A rough sleeping count conducted last week found eight people sleeping on the streets of Newark and Sherwood – a figure that is “a lot higher” than records over the past two years according to Claire Barlow, senior housing options officer at Newark and Sherwood District Council.
Last year, just five people were found sleeping rough in the same period.
Ms Barlow said while all rough sleepers are known to the authority, they are complex individuals who require the right offer for them, including appropriate accommodation pathways.
“We need to wait until they are wanting to work with us as well,” she added.
During a council meeting on Monday (October 26), Cheska Asman, homelessness strategy officer, said three people found sleeping rough had just recently been released from prison.
According to the Government, an average of 1,000 prisoners were found sleeping rough on the night following their release in the year April 2024 to March 2025.
This represented around 14 per cent of all prisoners released every month over that period, and marked an increase of approximately 40 per cent compared to 2023/24.
Charities across the country have been reporting an increase in prison leavers sleeping rough in part due to the government’s early-release plan, which has been aiming to reduce overcrowding.
The Ministry of Justice has said it is aiming to reduce prison leaver homelessness by half by 2029.
Despite the rise in rough sleeping, Newark and Sherwood District Council said it has prevented and relieved the risk of possible homelessness for around 300 households.
The average stay in temporary accommodation is currently less than 10 weeks, and no families have been placed in bed and breakfast accommodation “at all”.
Ms Barlow added:
“Our primary reason for having such successful outcomes is due to us having a dedicated landlord liaison officer who has built strong links with landlords within the private rented sector, and we’ve also recently recruited a dedicated homelessness prevention officer to strengthen our early intervention work, mediation, home visits and partnership working.”
On Sunday (October 25) Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out plans to ensure everyone sleeping rough will be offered a route off the street or wider support before Christmas.
Additional funding will be set out at the budget later this week, with the aim of bringing the total investment behind the commitment to £874 million by the end of the current Parliamentary term.
Claire McGonigle, chief executive of homelessness charity Framework, added: “We were delighted when the government first announced its ambition to ensure every rough sleeper has a route off the streets, and it is encouraging to see that ambition backed by increased investment.
“Across the homelessness sector, there has long been concern about the uncertainty created by short-term funding. If we are serious about reducing rough sleeping, services need the stability that sustained investment provides. Progress is built over years, not funding cycles.”
Sherwood Forest comes alive as hundreds of young people take on Shadow challenge
Hundreds of young people have battled their way through the world-famous Sherwood Forest in a weekend of teamwork, adventure and challenges.
Organised by Nottinghamshire County Council’s Youth Service and Notts Outdoors, the annual Shadow event saw 71 teams of more than 350 young people put their skills, determination and resilience to the test during an action-packed overnight challenge.
The event is designed for young people aged 13 to 19, while also being accessible to young adults up to the age of 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Teams were faced with a series of physical, creative and problem-solving challenges, as well as having to navigate their way through Sherwood Forest and work together to complete the course.
The overall winners of this year’s Shadow were Team Barry Bee from Beeston RAF Cadet Squadron.
Cpl James-Davis said: “We had an amazing experience at shadow which we always look forward to, and this year was the most fun yet.
“It’s a great challenging experience and such a unique adventure. Our team was so grateful to take part and delighted to win again.”
Shadow provided young people with the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, build confidence, develop teamwork skills and make new friends – all while enjoying one of the county’s most famous natural landscapes.
Councillor Rory Green, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:
“Councillors thoroughly enjoyed seeing Sherwood Forest full of young people throwing themselves into Shadow and giving every challenge their very best.
“Shadow is such a lovely event because it gives young people the chance to have an adventure, make new friends and learn some really valuable life skills along the way.
“A huge congratulations to our winners – but also to every young person who took part.
“Completing Shadow is an achievement in itself and they should all be incredibly proud.
“As a council, we are really honoured to serve so many young people throughout our county in this way through Shadow. We know this brings memories for life. A huge thank you to all staff and volunteers for making this happen.”
Shadow has been a major part of Nottinghamshire’s youth calendar for more than five decades, with thousands of young people having taken part since the event was first launched.
A host of organisations and volunteers help deliver the challenges each year, bringing together expertise from across the county to create an experience that tests young people physically and mentally while encouraging teamwork and having fun.
Motorists warned to check their eyesight
Motorists caught with defective eyesight on the roads can expect a fine, penalty points and potential disqualification from driving.
That's the warning from the Nottinghamshire Police Roads Policing Unit as the clocks go back and darker evenings set in.
Over the coming weeks, officers will be carrying out additional roadside checks to ensure that drivers' vision is roadworthy, primarily by asking them to read a number plate from 20 metres away.
As part of a national road safety campaign, drivers who are involved in collisions or pulled over for any other reason can expect to have their eyesight tested.
Those who fail face prosecution for driving with uncorrected defective eyesight and can face a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points and possible disqualification from driving.
Results will also be fed into a national eyesight survey by the Older Drivers Forum.
The law
The law requires that all motorists are able to read a car number plate from 20 metres, or about five car lengths; have a visual acuity of 6/12, measured on the Snellen eye chart scale used by opticians (wearing prescription eyewear, if necessary); and have an adequate field of vision.
Additional standards are in place for lorry and bus drivers.
Under legislation known as Cassie's Law, drivers who fail a roadside number plate test could have their licence revoked on the spot if a police officer deems them unsafe to be on the road.
Detective Inspector Jamie Moore, head of roads policing at Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"Most drivers know that excess speed, worn tyres or mobile phone use can result in a fine or penalty points, but they are perhaps less likely to realise that driving with defective eyesight is punishable with a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points and possible disqualification.
"That's because poor vision significantly increases your chances of being involved in a road traffic collision. Ninety per cent of the information we use as drivers is visual, so even a small deterioration in our vision can significantly increase our chances of being involved in a collision.
"Real-world examples include drivers who have forgotten their glasses, or people who have not had an eyesight test for several years and are perhaps unaware of the level of deterioration in their vision.
"Sadly, there will also be people out there who know their eyesight is too poor for them to be on the road and who are knowingly putting lives at risk.
"But whatever the reason, it is our responsibility as drivers to ensure that our vision is roadworthy, and that we are wearing appropriate eyewear to meet the required standards on the roads."
Cassie's Law
Officers can request an urgent revocation of a licence through the DVLA if they believe the safety of other road users will be put at risk if a driver remains on the road.
The power was introduced in 2013 under Cassie's Law, named after 16-year-old Cassie McCord, who died when an 87-year-old man lost control of his vehicle in Colchester, Essex.
It later emerged he had failed a police eyesight test days earlier, but a legal loophole meant he was allowed to continue driving.
Extreme Wheels Roadshows are returning to The Canch during October half-term
The Canch, Worksop Thursday, 29th October 2026
12noon to 2pm (just drop in!)
Each session will include one of the following activities:
Skatepark, Lazer Tag, Body Zorbing, Drift Trikes, KMX Karts, BMX Sidehacks
Please note: the minimum age for Extreme Wheels activities only is 9 years. Helmets must be worn at all time
Content courtesy of Bassetlaw District Council
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Justin Doddy, Editor
Bassetlaw Today
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