A BRADFORD City player has been fined for taking part in 'barbaric' hare coursing in the countryside.

Kian Harratt, who is currently on loan at Valley Parade from West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town, appeared in court today.

Harratt and two others committed the daytime poaching offence in East Yorkshire earlier this year.

Who is Kian Harratt the Bradford City player fined for hare coursing?

The young striker was on loan at Port Vale at the time when the crime was committed.

Humberside Police said that officers stopped a vehicle on farmland in the Wressle area, near Howden, on April 3 and three men were dealt with for Game Act offences.

They were all convicted at Beverley Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

* Harratt, 20, of Craven Road, Pontefract, was fined £830 and ordered to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge of £83

*Billy Haigh, 20, of Main Street, South Heindley, Barnsley, was fined £519 and ordered to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge of £52

*Codie Colin Smith, 18, of Frickley Bridge Lane, Brierley, Barnsley, was fined £173 and ordered to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge of £34.

Rural Task Force Sergeant Kevin Jones said: “This conviction shows that the Rural Task Force will deal strongly with those offenders that visit our Force area to commit hare coursing offences.

"We will not tolerate the barbaric act of hare coursing, not only causing unimaginable suffering to our wildlife but also causing issues for local landowners who are often the subject of antisocial behaviour and damage to their land and property."

Harratt was the Bantams' sixth summer signing back in June - joining less than a week after scoring at Wembley.

He spent the second half of the last campaign with Port Vale - and netted the opener in their 3-0 win over Mansfield in the play-off final.

Already in such a young career, the striker has been on the books at Barnsley and Leeds United.

He has also enjoyed loan spells at Harrogate Town and Guiseley.

The youngster has struggled for minutes at City this season. 

He was sent off after the final whistle in the opening game of his side's League Two campaign following a clash with Doncaster keeper Johnny Mitchell.

Harratt also missed a penalty in City's shoot-out loss to Leicester under-21s in the Papa Johns Trophy.

The Telegraph & Argus has approached Bradford City for a comment.