Farmers and businesses in Cumbria tackling rural crime

Rural crime cost Lancashire and Cumbria more than £1.9m last year, according to figures from NFU Mutual (National Farmers Union).

Tools, trailers, horseboxes, quad bikes, livestock and all terrain vehicles head the list of stolen items.

Many farmers have taken high-tech steps in order to protect their property, but despite this, statistics in 2017 so far indicate an increase in crime, rising by more than 20 per cent.

Agent for NFU, Amanda Wallbank, said: "Although the figures for rural crime in Cumbria are down, countryside criminals continue to become more brazen, and farmers are now having to continually increase security and adopt new ways of protecting their equipment.

"In some parts of the county, farmers are having to turn their farmyards into fortresses to protect themselves from repeated thieves who are targeting quad-bikes, tractors, livestock, and power tools. They are using tracking devices on tractors, video and infra-red surveillance in their farm yards, and even DNA markers to protect sheep from rustlers."

Ms Wallbank added: "The report reveals that being staked out is the biggest worry for country people, followed closely by longer police response times in rural areas.

"The threat of becoming a victim of rural crime, and regular reports of suspicious characters watching farms, is causing high levels of anxiety amongst farmers who know that their rural location makes them vulnerable to attacks.

"Our advice to people living and working in the countryside is to regularly evaluate your current security measures, making improvements where necessary, to remain vigilant, and to report any suspicious activity to the local police and local farm watch schemes."

Rural crime cost Lancashire £1.3m in 2016, which is down 40 per cent from £2.1m in 2015

In Cumbria, rural crime cost the county £615k in 2016, down 16 per cent from £735k in 2015. The figures form part of NFU's annual rural crime report.