Farmhouses fall victim to crime in Umbrian idyll

06 July 1998

Farmhouses fall victim to crime in Umbrian idyll

Crime has finally caught up with Umbria, central Italy, after a spate of robberies on villas and farmhouses.

It was normal, until recently, to see keys left in the front doors of houses in the region, where locals are renowned for their honesty.

Now police are advising owners of the villas and farmhouses to take unprecedented steps to protect their properties. The victims tend to be outsiders who arrive who retreat to Umbria at the weekends. The are said to be largely from gangs outside the area.