August 14, 2017 1.42 pm This story is over 79 months old

Lincolnshire has highest cost of rural crime in UK

This comes from a new report.
Lincolnshire's rural crime accounted for almost £2.5m in 2015

A crime report has found that Lincolnshire has the highest cost of rural crime in the UK.

The National Farmers’ Union report showed the county’s cost of rural crime in 2016 was almost £2.5 million, a 5% increase from 2015.

Rural crime is a multitude of offences such as fly-tipping, vehicle theft and hare coursing.

Lincolnshire Police recently launched new high-tech drones and quad bikes earlier this year to help tackle county’s rural crime issue.

Tim Price, a rural affairs specialist said in the report: “The rise in rural crime has come about due to two main factors.

Photo: 2017 Rural Crime Report

“Social and economic change has seen the number of farms fall and close-knit communities collapse. And modern transport links now enable thieves to steal farm machinery and move it into mainland Europe in a matter of hours.

“Countryside criminals are becoming more brazen, and our annual survey of attitudes indicates that many farmers now feel under siege.

“Across the country they’re turning their farmyards into fortresses to protect their homes, families and property. Some are even turning their backs on farming altogether.”

The results may come as no surprise to many people in Lincolnshire given how rural the county is.

Nationally, the cost of rural crime in 2016 was £39.2 million, falling 4.3% since 2015.

Second on the list was Essex which totalled £1.8 million of rural crime for the year,

The full report is available on the National Farmer’s Union website.