| Security
Sixty lambs stolen in Harrogate theft
Police are urging farmers to be vigilant after dozens of lambs were stolen in a theft near Harrogate.
B etween Thursday 20 and Friday 21 July 2017, about 60 lambs were taken from the Lofthouse area. It is believed the theft happened in the early hours of the morning, and the thieves would have needed transportation such as a cattle trailer or similar to remove such a quantity of sheep.
PC David Mackay, of North Yorkshire Police’ s Rural Taskforce, said:“ The sheep were marked with red across their shoulders, which may now have faded. They have been described as not yet ready and still quite small, and so there is the possibility that they may be on land somewhere.
“ If you have any information regarding the theft or are aware of sheep with this marking suddenly appearing on land please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting 12170128773 or email me, david. mackay @ northyorkshire. pnn. police. uk.” In another incident of sheep theft in the
Harrogate area, ten lambs were taken from a property on the B6161 Otley Road near Beckwithshaw sometime last week. That investigation is also ongoing.
Inspector Jon Grainge, of North Yorkshire Police’ s Rural Taskforce, added:“ Over recent years, North Yorkshire Police and surrounding rural forces have taken an increasing number of reports relating to the theft of sheep. The Rural Taskforce has been focusing on this problem, and we have identified that sheep have been stolen, often in ones and twos, sometimes in trailer-loads. Some will be destined almost immediately for the illegal meat trade, while others are‘ hidden’ in open view in fields and barns across a wide geographic area.
“ The difficulty with the nature of this crime is that it is not necessarily immediately obvious to farmers, who may only be able to identify their shortfall at the time of bringing sheep in to scan or to worm, which often gives a very wide timeframe for us to work with. Lines of enquiry are limited, and this is where we need the public’ s help to call in suspicious movements of animals, or animals appearing in fields unexpectedly.”
North Yorkshire Police are also continuing to urge people in rural areas to be vigilant, and report any suspicious activity to the police, as part of its Call It In campaign. Even if it doesn’ t need an immediate response, every piece of information helps officers build up a picture and could prove vital in bringing criminals to justice.
New NFU report lays bare true financial and human cost of rural crime
With rural crime now costing £ 42.5 million, the true human cost of rural crime has been revealed in a new NFU report.
F armers and their families in some parts of the country have been victims of arson, vandalism and burglary with many NFU members experiencing fear, intimidation and threats of violence. Vehicle theft, hare coursing and fly-tipping are also contributing to widespread under-reporting, anger, frustration and worry.
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 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.
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.
“ The cost of rural crime in the UK reached £ 42.5 million ¹ in 2015 and 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.
“ 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.”
46 | Farming Monthly | August 2017 www. farmingmonthly. co. uk