The National Farmers' Union has said criminals are treating rural businesses and farmers as 'criminal tourism', a new report has said outlining the true human cost of rural crime.
Farmers and their families in some parts of the country have been victims of arson, vandalism and burglary with many farmers experiencing intimidation and threats of violence.
Vehicle theft, hare coursing and fly-tipping are also contributing to widespread under-reporting.
The NFU said that the result is an increasing fear of crime in rural areas and significantly lower satisfaction levels in the police than the national average.
The NFU, in its report, has found there is no standard protocol across police forces for combatting rural crime, with some forces not even treating rural crime as serious crime.
This is leading to so-called ‘criminal tourism’ with perpetrators often travelling long distances to target farm businesses.
A survey released in May showed showed 56% of respondents have been a victim of rural crime in the past 12 months.
'Dramatic increases'
NFU Deputy President Minette Batters wants to see a 'coordinated and consistent' approach that would allow police forces to share best practice.
“With significant and varied differences across police forces, safety in rural areas has become a postcode lottery,” said Mrs Batters.
“Farmers are reporting dramatic increases in incidents and are feeling more vulnerable as these actions continue. Violent crime along with fly-tipping, hare coursing and theft are just a few examples of the crimes farm businesses are being subject to.
“On my farm, we have suffered with constant hare coursing problems, resulting in gates being left open and stock being continually put at risk.
Cost of rural crime
The cost of rural crime in the UK reached £42.5 million in 2015.
The NFU is asking Government and the Home Office to ensure increased and fairer funding for rural policing.
More than 1,000 rural police stations closed between 2000 and 2012, directly impacting the level of police surveillance.
Mrs Batters continued: “There are many very good examples of police forces taking action and implementing good practice to deal with rural crime, with great success.
“But we believe more joined-up thinking is needed from police forces together with local authorities and Government to address these issues. The NFU would like Government to take the lead to ensure all constabularies adopt strategies of accurate recording and target setting and are willing to work together to find positive solutions to these challenges.
“Farmers should not be seen as a soft target for criminals.”
