Free digital copy
Get Speciality Food magazine delivered to your inbox FREE
Get your free copy08 August 2011, 14:46 PM
- The latest research has shown the amount of sheep being stolen from British farmers has doubled in the last six months
According to the latest figures from the National Farmer’s Union (NFU) the amount of livestock being unlawfully taken has growth at a distributing rate in recent months.
The crimes have been attributed to raising meat prices and the industry feeling the pinch of the recession.
The Rural Crime Survey puts the cost to UK agriculture at £49.7 million in 2010.
When asked about the main reason thieves target the countryside, 41% of branches said the fact it was such a sparse area made it difficult to police, with 32% claiming there was less chance of thieves being seen. And 23% thought relaxed attitudes towards security could also be a factor.
Chief executive Lindsay Sinclair said, “Whether it’s the recession, tighter security in towns, or the rise in oil, meat and scrap metal prices countryside people are feeling the blight of rural crime on their land.
“However, country people are not taking this scourge lying down. Across the country new rural security initiatives are springing up involving rural communities and insurers such as NFU Mutual.
“We’ve already seen that by working with the police forces and manufacturers, tractor theft and organised rural crime can be tackled head-on. A united front against crime in the countryside will help to protect communities from being targeted further with vigilance as the watchword.”
