Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 16 September 1932

“A Regular Game”

Poaching Nuisance at Clayton

Reginald Fawcett and Joseph Hall, of Thurnscoe, were each fined £3 for offences under the Poaching Prevention Act at Doncaster on Tuesday.

P.c. Sclater said that at 8.45 p.m. on May 29th he saw the defendants at Clayton and he suspected they had come from land preserved for game. Their boots were wet. As witness approached the men, Fawcett pulled something from a pocket and threw it over a wall. Witness searched and found a short doubled-barrelled gun. He then went after defendants but found nothing further on them. Fawcett, however, gave a false name and a Goldthorpe address. “This is a regular game up there,” added the officer. “Men keep coming, even in the close season, fire one or two shots and then make off.”

Fawcett said he had been to borrow the gun that night. “I threw it away when I saw the constable because I had no licence.” The gun was of no use for poaching.

Supt. Minty said each man had a number of previous convictions, Fawcett being fined £3 last month for a similar offence. The magistrates confiscated the gun