THREE men suspected of illegal rabbit poaching have been charged by police.

Suspicious activity led to a police call-out in Ewelme, near Wallingford, at about 9.45pm on Sunday, December 22.

Officers stopped a vehicle and arrested three men, who were charged the following day:

Matthew Beach, 37, of Hithermoor Road, Staines, Surrey, was charged with one count of coming from land possessing articles for killing/taking game, one count of entering land as a trespasser at night with poaching equipment and one count of trespass on land at night and taking/destroying a rabbit or rabbits.

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Micky Smith, 35, of Sutton Lane, Slough, was charged with one count of coming from land possessing articles for killing/taking game, one count of trespass on land at night and taking/destroying a rabbit or rabbits and one count of trespass on land at night and taking/destroying game.

Edwin Smith, 23, of Coldharbour Lane, Egham, Surrey, was charged with one count of coming from land possessing articles for killing/taking game, one count of entering land as a trespasser at night with poaching equipment and one count of trespassing on land at night and taking/destroying a rabbit or rabbits.

The trio spent part of their Christmas Eve at Oxford Magistrates' Court and are due to appear there again on February 27.

They were remanded on conditional bail in the meantime.

Their arrest followed a report of potential poaching activity at Gangsdown Hill, Ewelme.