Why tackling rural crime must be a national and local priority

Crimes including equipment theft, hare coursing, fly-tipping and livestock worrying are on the rise nationally and locally, costing the UK £52.8m last year, according to NFU Mutual’s rural crime report. This is a 4.3% rise on the previous year.

Rural crime cost the North East region £8.6m last year, an 7.3% increase on 2022.

Behind the statistics, the real-life impact is severe and often heartbreaking.

We hear of family farm businesses, which have been passed through generations, now struggling to survive due to the financial devastation caused by rural crime.

Farm animals are enduring awful injuries and often put down after suffering dog attacks and many farmers are feeling intimidated, isolated and unsafe in their own homes with organised criminal gangs operating on their land.

But there is cause for optimism and the NFU welcomes this week’s National Rural Crime Action Week as an opportunity to shine a light on the issues our members are facing and the efforts to tackle them.

At the NFU we firmly believe that collaboration is key when it comes to tackling rural crime.

Here in Northumberland, we work closely with Northumbria Police, the public and other stakeholders in the community in our united battle against rural crime.

The NFU meets with the Police on a regular basis to discuss rural crime issues and contribute to their work in setting policing priorities and hosts regular barn meetings, where police officers come out on farm and discuss key issues with farmers and give crime prevention advice.

We also work closely with Northumbria Police rural crime team.

All this collaboration puts the NFU firmly at the heart of efforts to improve the situation in Northumberland.

This work on the ground, locally, must be backed by a clear and coordinated national plan to drive down rural crime, including fair funding for rural policing, for any significant long-term improvements to be made.

In short - tackling rural crime needs to be a national priority.

With this in mind, we were pleased to see the government launch a national rural crime strategy back in April, something the NFU has long called for.

The strategy includes tougher measures to crack down on criminal activities such as equipment theft, livestock worrying and fly-tipping.

A key focus for the NFU is the implementation of the secondary legislation available in the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act.

The Act currently covers All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and quad bikes and there is a pressing need to extend the measures to include agricultural GPS systems, which have increasingly become frequent targets for theft.

Claims for stolen GPS units surged by 137% in 2023, resulting in an estimated £4.2 million in losses for farmers.

Introducing a mandatory register for ATVs and other high-value equipment, alongside defined standards for immobilisers, forensic marking and tracking technologies to support stolen machinery recovery, would be crucial steps toward deterring organised crime gangs targeting farming businesses.

The increasing trends in livestock theft and worrying also require attention and we look forward to helping the government in delivering on its commitments to tackle this.

Rural crime is not just a financial concern – it impacts farmers’ ability to deliver national food security, boost the economy and support the environment and leaves many people feeling unsafe in their own homes.

The NFU in Northumberland, and across the country, will do all we can to fight for our rural communities, amplify their voices and get the support and protection they urgently need.