It's horrible. It's just pure animal cruelty," says a farmer in east Kent who found 22 dead hares laid out in rows in a field. "Some of those hares would have been feeding their young which will now die as well." The farmer, who we are calling Sarah, asked not be be named for fear of reprisals. "The idea that animals are pursued for fun or for financial gain is disgusting," she added. Hare coursing is the illegal pursuit of hares by dogs and is usually fuelled by gambling. A gamekeeper, who also asked not to be identified, said it had been "going on for years" and was now "like an epidemic". Warning: This story contains images of dead animals Kent Police said farmers had the force's "absolute commitment", with a rural taskforce dedicated to tackling this issue. Inspector Tom Mepstead added that during the second week of September, five vehicles linked to poaching and hare coursing had been seized. Community protection warnings and notices were issued, an arrest was made and equipment, clothing and dogs were also seized. Mepstead said farmers and landowners were included in briefings and would contact police with information. 'It's all about the money' Hare coursing is an ancient sport that has been illegal in the UK since 2005. Dogs such as greyhounds or lurchers are used to hunt hares, which the coursers usually scare out from the wild. Points are awarded for the number of times the dogs force the hare to twist and turn as it runs - as well as for the kill. The sport reached a peak of popularity in the 19th Century, but went underground after it was banned in the UK. Sarah believes the 22 hares she found at her farm may have have been laid out on the ground to be photographed as trophies, but also as evidence of the number of kills that have been made. "People hare course quite often as part of a betting group, a betting syndicate and even online betting," she said. "It is a nasty type of crime that is constantly happening under our noses, but there doesn't seem to be enough repercussions for the people carrying it out."