POACHERS are the prey after police launched a crackdown in Padiham.

Officers have mounted a series of night-time raids around the town in an attempt to combat the illegal killing of deer and other wildlife.

Sgt Marianne Slater, from Padiham Police, said: “These operations are necessary to highlight the increase in poaching activities in, and around, this area.

“The operations, that are carried out with the assistance of the constabulary’s local wildlife volunteer, have so far served to increase the amount of vital information we receive and gather while engaged on the poaching operation.

“This assists the neighbourhood officers to identify potential offenders who are illegally poaching wildlife.”

During one of the raids, officers caught two people killing a deer. They were given reprimands.

Further operations are set to take place in the coming months to deter criminal activity.

Sgt Slater added: “We will be looking at people who are rabbit baiting at the moment.

"A lot of it is seasonal and it all depends on the time of the year as to what people are doing.

“The targets for the poachers are changing all the time, so we need to be looking at that.

“We have a fantastic wildlife volunteer who is incredibly knowledgeable and that helps us a lot.”

Recent poaching operations have also focused on illegal fishing at night.

Anybody with information on poaching should call police on 0845 1 25 35 45, or Crimestoppers, anon-ymously, on 0800 555 111.