Gamekeeper run over by poachers still in hospital

A gamekeeper suffered numerous broken bones after being run over by armed trespassers. 

Paul Ashton, headkeeper on the Linkenholt Estate north of Andover in Hampshire, spotted the potential poachers who were armed with catapults. Concerned for the welfare of wildlife on the estate, he challenged them. 

This resulted in Mr Ashton allegedly being run over by a vehicle that sources believe to have been a black Honda CR-V. 

Mr Ashton, who was with his 22-year-old son at the time, sustained several broken ribs, two broken legs, a punctured lung and a head injury. An ambulance was called to the scene and Mr Ashton is believed to have been placed in an induced coma following his injuries. 

It is understood that the person challenged was armed with a catapult, which are increasingly being used in wildlife crime. Mr Ashton remains in hospital while the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary are appealing to the public for any further information concerning the incident. 

Renowned for its high birds, the Linkenholt Estate, with 22 named drives, is one of the oldest pheasant and partridge shoots in the country.