Bradford City striker Kian Harratt fined £1,000 for hare coursing

Bradford City striker Kian Harratt has been dropped for the club's next game after being convicted of hare coursing.

The 20-year-old, from Craven Road in Pontefract, was sentenced along with two other men at Beverley Magistrates Court after being stopped by police in the Wressle area of East Yorkshire on 3 April.

Hare coursing is an illegal blood sport where dogs – usually greyhounds or similar breeds – compete against each other to chase and kill a hare for the entertainment of their owners.

It was made illegal in 2004 but is still a common problem for rural police forces.

In a statement from Humberside Police after the conviction, the force said: "We will not tolerate the barbaric act of hare coursing, not only causing unimaginable suffering to our wildlife but also causing issues for local landowners who are often the subject of antisocial behaviour and damage to their land and property."

Bradford City said it was aware of the conviction. In a statement the club said: "The 20-year-old’s parent club, Huddersfield Town, is currently investigating the matter further, and working to establish the full facts. "Harratt will not be involved for City for this weekend’s Emirates FA Cup visit of Harrogate Town."

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