Balaclava-Clad Thugs Go on the Rampage in 30-Car Convoy Terrorising Villagers

A mob of 30 masked hare coursers wreaked havoc across rural Cambridgeshire, leaving villages terrified and disrupting emergency services.

What Exactly Happened?

The group, using 4×4 vehicles, tore through farmland, damaged fire engines, and stole fuel from a local petrol station. Their reckless actions, which were captured on video and widely shared online, affected multiple communities including Manea, Wimblington, Welney, Chatteris, Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow, and Littleport.

Balaclava-Clad Thugs Go on the Rampage in 30-Car Convoy Terrorising Villagers
Source: The Mirror

The situation escalated on Saturday when two fire engines sustained damage during a routine firefighting drill. The gang’s behavior has been described as “appalling” and “shocking” by authorities. Their brazen theft from Sisco Service Station in Wimblington, where over £200 worth of fuel and goods were stolen, further highlighted the severity of the crime spree.

Residents Demand Police Action

A public meeting was held in Manea on January 29, organized by MP Steve Barclay and Councillor Charlie Marks, drawing a crowd of 300 concerned residents. Testimonies from farmers and locals painted a distressing picture of lawlessness and destruction. Farmer Robert Sears recalled how a convoy of 25 4x4s stormed his property, damaging his vehicle as he attempted to intervene. Despite calling 999, he was informed that police would take three to four hours to respond—a visit that never materialized.

Similarly, farmer Matthew Latter described the harrowing experience of having his property overrun by 70 masked men in 30 vehicles. His family was forced to barricade themselves inside their home for over three hours. “My seven-year-old daughter was crying and utterly terrified,” he said, adding that despite multiple calls to police with precise location details, no officers arrived. Leo Butler, another farmer, lamented the lack of police presence: “There were no helicopters, no police cars, not one officer. If the police won’t confront these people, somebody has to.”

Authorities Acknowledge Failures

Chief Constable Nick Dean admitted that the police response was inadequate and pledged a regional-level investigation into the failures. He acknowledged that he had miscalculated the necessary resources, stating, “I perhaps got it wrong in hindsight.”

Local policing commander Superintendent Ben Martin explained that police had limited prior intelligence on the gang’s activities. While a force-wide dispersal order was enacted, a highly demanding weekend elsewhere in the county stretched resources too thin to properly respond.

Balaclava-Clad Thugs Go on the Rampage in 30-Car Convoy Terrorising Villagers
Source: Daily Record

MP Steve Barclay expressed relief that the police admitted their shortcomings and emphasized the need for a thorough inquiry. Councillor Marks warned that it was “pure luck” no one was seriously injured or killed. “We could have been mourning a member of our village today,” he stated, adding that one gang member was spotted carrying a pickaxe handle. Authorities are now working on improving rural policing strategies to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future. Investigations into the gang’s actions are ongoing, with police urging anyone with further information to come forward.

 

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