THE craze of organised deer hunting by gangs using dogs and quad bikes has broken out in Dorset, it has emerged.

The illegal blood sport has sickened countryside wardens.

Deer expert Sam Hamer, of Dorset Wildlife Trust – the organisation managing 40 county nature reserves – says more than a dozen deer may have been killed at Purbeck’s Tadnoll and Winfrith Nature Reserve.

“We had about four or five incidents where evidence pointed to hunting,” he said.

Mr Hamer said: “The problem is it comes in waves.

“You think you’ve solved it, then it comes back. I am sure the problem just moves from site to site across the south west.

“We don’t know what these people could be like – they could turn violent. There is potential for them to be using guns but no evidence has been found of this.”

The illegal hunting is among a range of countryside crimes dealt with by police and nature reserve staff this year, including fly-tipping, poaching and a number of heathland arson attacks.

“It was organised. They were using dogs and quad bikes. I think they were doing it for the sport. They were certainly not doing it to make money.”

The gangs turned up in the early hours of the morning with vehicles, trailers, dogs and quad bikes.