FARMERS are urging police to put more resources into tackling rural crime.

A survey by the National Farmers Union (NFU) revealed that 20 per cent of the 200 people who took part had difficulty reporting a crime and that, when they did, they felt that insufficient action was taken.

Fly-tipping, trespass, poaching and theft are the four most common offences farmers have to deal with, and the average cost to a farmer of each crime reported was nearly £3,000, with the total cost of the crimes covered by the survey coming to just under £247,000. This included the costs of the time spent dealing with crime, replacing equipment and making good any damage.

Criminal damage, arson and burglary were also commonly reported, along with incidents of gates being left open, livestock worrying and fly-grazing.

South West NFU regional director Melanie Squires said: “I know that this is one of the most frustrating issues faced by farmers, but it is very important that everyone who experiences a crime reports it, so police forces have an accurate record of how much crime is taking place and whereabouts it is. This will help demonstrate the scale of the problem and will support us when it comes to arguing for more police resources to be allocated to rural areas.”

Dorset Police has a dedicated rural crime team, which launched in August last year.

Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Mark Cooper said at the time of the launch: “Dorset Police is firmly committed to tackling issues of rural crime and maintaining public confidence throughout all communities in our county.

“As rural crime requires a specialist and collaborative response, we have pulled together a team of officers and partners to share information, skills and expertise. We are focused on developing a bespoke approach to rural crime, recognising its unique nature and ensuring our response is fully integrated with the community.”

Almost half the respondents to the South West NFU survey said their experience of crime had prompted them to increase security measures, with many installing CCTV and making sure gates and vehicles were always locked, even though this had a cost in that it meant carrying out tasks around the farm often took longer.

The results of the survey will be used to inform NFU discussions with the region’s chief constables and police and crime commissioners in the coming months.