DRONES with powerful spotlights are being used in the fight against poaching in rural Dorset.

Officers are carrying out extra patrols as part of the national Operation Galileo.

On Sunday police from the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, Drones Team and neighbourhood officers joined forces for enhanced patrols across rural parts of the county.

A spokesman said: "Poaching is not just a serious issue for our wildlife, but also has a devastating impact on our farming community. Farmers are being threatened and finding gates and crops damaged, costing significant amounts of money every time.

"Officers also conducted regular proactive stops on vehicles with potential to carry stolen farm machinery and livestock in a bid to deter and detect rural crime. Please remember if you are transporting livestock to have all relevant paperwork with you as we will be checking to make sure the livestock has not been stolen."

Technology including drones and thermal imaging are being widely used to identify suspicious activity.

The spokesman added: "Imagine suddenly having that spotlight catch you doing something you shouldn’t."