One in five in countryside consider moving in response to growing rural crime fears

Rural crime is so serious that nearly one in five people surveyed by the Countryside Alliance say they have considered leaving the area where they live. Almost all respondents – 96% – say crime is a significant issue locally and nearly half – 45% – believe the police do not take rural crime seriously.

Nearly three out of four (73%) think crime has increased in the last 12 months in the latest evidence that rural communities feel less safe.

Almost half (48%) of respondents say they felt intimidated by criminals or criminality and 18% have even considered moving away.

Around four out of 10 (39%) respondents had personally experienced rural crime in the past year.

Forty-four percent of these incidents involved fly-tipping, 32% concerned agricultural machinery theft and 31% were to do with illegal hare or deer poaching.

Earlier this year, a cross-border incident in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire saw up to seventy criminals drive vehicles through fields killing hares and deer, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to crops, setting fire to vehicles, and even attacking fire engines.

A farmer from Devon recently revealed that he has had lost more than 4,500 sheep to thieves in the last decade, representing more than £500,000 worth of livestock. Livestock rustling is a particularly traumatic crime for victims, causing not only financial but also emotional damage to farmers, who spend months putting in hard work planning and then caring for the animals they rear.

And at the end of last year, a police investigation made two arrests after finding stolen farm equipment worth more than £250,000 at a business park in Essex. Many cases are linked to organised criminal gangs, who export the machinery to Europe and beyond.

The survey found nearly a third of crimes (32%) are never reported to the police. Of those who did report an incident, nearly half (48%) were dissatisfied with the response – and 85% say the police cannot be relied on to be there when you need them.

Half of respondents have felt forced to take up crime preventative measures to protect their property in the last year. These include 71% installing security lighting, 65% installing CCTV, video or infra-red, and 15% acquiring guard dogs. Some respondents have even been forced to fork out for paid security patrols to safeguard their buildings and equipment.

The Countryside Alliance has called for action to be taken, and outlined a number of ways in which rural crime might be more effectively dealt with, including the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 (which targets the theft and re-sale of equipment used by tradespeople and agricultural and other businesses, requiring that they be fitted with engine immobilisers, securely marked and recorded when sold), greater usage of the powers available to police and magistrates, better reporting of cases of livestock theft, and increased support for the National Rural Crime Unit.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance said: “Tackling crime and increasing police visibility is a major priority for people who live in the countryside, and while there may be increasing awareness in the corridors of Westminster of the growing problem of rural crime, this awareness is often not felt by the communities that live and work in the countryside.”

“By prioritising the issues that matter most to rural residents and ensuring that the police have the resources and support they need to act, we can begin to rebuild trust, improve safety, and create an environment where rural communities feel secure once again.”