TWO men have been fined after pleading guilty to poaching.

Andrew Dowse, 53, of Carlin How, and Steven Raymond Jones, 52, of Redcar, admitted hunting a hare with a dog – an offence under the Hunting Act 2004 – at Spaunton, Kirkbymoorside, Ryedale on March 11.

They now face a total court bill of more than £800.

North Yorkshire Police were alerted to suspected poaching activity in the area at about 1.15pm on March 11.

By 2pm, a PCSO from Ryedale Neighbourhood Policing Team had located a suspicious vehicle and a number of witnesses before Dowse and Jones were seen returning to the vehicle with two dogs.

They were stopped and spoken to by the Rural Taskforce, and their vehicle, a blue Mitsubishi ASX, was seized.

Both pleaded guilty when they appeared at Scarborough Magistrates Court on Friday, November 23.

Dowse was fined £50 and ordered to pay costs of £310 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Jones was fined £110 and ordered to pay court costs of £310, as well as a victim surcharge of £30.