Rural crime fight to get more than £800,000 in funding

The government has pledged to provide more than £800,000 in funding to help tackle rural crime.

Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones is set to outline the government’s support at the National Rural Crime Network’s annual conference in York on Tuesday (24 March).

Ms Jones is expected to say: “By strengthening our partnerships with farmers, landowners and community groups, we can build a safer countryside – one where criminals know they will be caught, and every resident feels heard.”

See also: Fly-tippers to be forced to clean up mess under new rules

Tim Passmore, chairman of the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN), welcomed the government’s commitment, adding that continued funding is a vital step forward.

He said: “Rural communities still face deep-rooted fears about their safety, and more must be done to ensure they feel protected, supported, and heard.

“The harms facing rural communities go far beyond what appears in crime statistics.”

Lucy Charman, the Country Land and Business Association NRCN representative, added: “Farmers and communities – many already struggling with isolation – have had enough of criminals and violent, organised gangs targeting them. They deserve to feel safe and protected.

“This new funding is a step in the right direction in the fight against rural crime.

“And it must be part of a wider package to equip more officers as well as improve rural training for call handlers and neighbourhood policing teams.”

Number plate recognition

Rural insurance firm NFU Mutual has also committed to providing a further £62,000 to police forces to tackle rural crime and install more automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in rural areas.

NFU Mutual estimates the cost of rural crime reached £44m in 2024 and it has invested more than £1m to tackle it since 2021.

Nick Turner, chief executive at NFU Mutual, said: “Rural crime is an issue that continues to plague our members and those in the countryside.

“We regularly hear of the disruption it causes in day-to-day activities and the financial implications suffered.

“Working in collaboration with police forces, we have funded 13 ANPR cameras in a bid to deter criminals looking to commit crime.”

Industry roundtable

Police and crime commissioners, rural insurers, and farming representatives recently took part in an industry roundtable, chaired by NFU vice-president Robyn Munt, calling for fairer funding for policing in rural areas.

Ms Munt said: “Too many farm businesses across the country are targeted relentlessly by criminals who see our countryside as easy pickings.

“These farms are also homes. Farming families are left feeling terrified, isolated and vulnerable at the hands of these dangerous criminals.”

Interactive crime map

The Countryside Alliance has launched its own interactive rural crime map and is calling on those affected by rural crime to report them and help show the scale of the issue.

The group says many crimes in the countryside, such as fly-tipping, theft, poaching and livestock worrying, hit rural communities, yet many go unreported.

It hopes the map will help pinpoint crime hotspots, show emerging trends and build evidence.

Sarah Lee, director of policy at the Countryside Alliance, said rural communities have long felt overlooked and have been left to cope with rising levels of rural crime.

She added that funding from government set a clear signal that it recognises the importance of protecting rural people and their livelihoods.