Crime wave hits Midlands farms

FARMS IN Leicestershire are being targeted more and more by criminals and farmers fear it is because police are at full-stretch dealing with city-centre crime.

Leicester city centre recently figured on national news as a weekend hot-spot for alcohol-fuelled violence.

And as police struggle to cope, isolated farms in the county are becoming robbery targets.

Fireams, four-wheel-drive vehicles, tack, trailers and farm diesel stores are being hit.

In the past 7 days, two caravans worth £13,500 were stolen from a Melton Mowbray farm, while five farms have been hit in the north west of the county.

Rifles and shotguns have been stolen from a Market Bosworth farm, while £12,000 worth of horse-riding equipment was taken from a Market Harborough farm.

Richard Dewes farms at Harborough: “We get nothing from the police. It took them more than two hours to see me after thieves stole my Discovery.

“We worry a lot about crime – it causes a lot of stress, ” he said.

A police spokesman said: “We have four rural beat vehicles and rural police stations are still out there, although some of them are not open for the full 24 hours.

“I think farmers should have concerns about crime, but those concerns should also be reflected in the steps they take to protect their properties.”