Silent Crimes: Most farmers in Lancashire have been a victim of crime at some time or other
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Farmers are ‘thrilled’ more rural bobbies have been assigned to tackle rural crime across Lancashire.
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Hide AdThe South Rural Force, led by Sergeant Darren Carr, will now feature seven specialist officers instead of the previous four. It covers areas such as Preston, Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire.
John Holden, 56, owns and runs his family farm in the Ribble Valley. He said: “I’m very pleased at the news, I think it is obviously a good thing.
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Hide Ad“While we haven't been affected by crime ourselves, we are the minority, most farms have at some point,” John added. “What some people might not understand about crime on farms is how much it affects the lives of the farmers. If a farm doesn’t make any money then a farmer doesn’t make any money.
“It’s getting to the point where some farmers aren’t able to take a wage for certain periods of the year, so if they have things like theft and animal deaths to deal with as well then it is creating an impossible situation.”
Since its creation in 2021, the South Rural Task Force has made a positive impact within the region, making 54 arrests, seizing 194 stolen vehicles and machines and reducing hare coursing by over 60 per cent.
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Hide AdThey have also raised over £5,000 for the ARBI, a charity which looks after farmers’ mental wellbeing and offers support and advice for those going through difficult times.
Sergeant Darren Carr, the task force’s leader, said: “I am incredibly proud of the achievement of the South Rural Task Force since the team was established in 2021. Despite being a small team, their dedication and passion for protecting our rural communities has produced some great results so far.
“Since the team has been set up we’ve been able to build links with neighbouring forces, we’ve worked really well with Merseyside and Cheshire police,” he added. “The Morecambe team also works with Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
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Hide Ad“This is good because a lot of the crime is cross boundary. Now there is also a National Rural Crime Team, so while 7 officers doesn’t seem a lot we are actually part of a much bigger operation.”
The force deals with a plethora of different offences, ranging from crimes such as theft and criminal damage to poaching, hare coursing and livestock worrying.
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Hide AdGail Barker is a hobby farmer who owns a small herd of sheep in Great Eccleston. Earlier this year her flock was attacked by a dog off its lead, resulting in a horrific scene and loss of life. She said: “Sadly the total is at three sheep who will have died. If only that person had not let their dog off the lead because ‘my dog won’t chase sheep’.”
Commenting specifically on livestock offences, Sgt Carr said: “It isn’t just about stealing the animals, it included livestock worrying as well. This has definitely increased a lot since covid, with more people having dogs and more people exploring the countryside.”
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Hide AdNFU Mutual, the UK’s largest insurance provider for farmers, revealed in their annual report that rural crime cost the North West an estimated £3.2m in 2023, up 1.4% from 2022. Another issue which is on the rise is the theft of GPS systems within tractors. NFU Mutual also estimated that there has been an alarming 137% increase in GPS theft since last year.
However, Sgt Carr’s team has been efficient in preventing this issue from spreading into Lancashire. He said: “We went round and marked all kinds of machinery for our farmers, and that was really successful because we didn’t have a single GPS unit stolen for 12 months.”
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Hide AdThe National Farmers Union also reacted positively to the announcement of new officers in the task force.
A spokesman said: “Rural crime continues to be a major issue for many farmers and members of the public across Lancashire. Farmers have been victims of a range of crimes, hare coursing and livestock worrying and GPS device thefts.
“It is good news that Lancashire Police has recognised that rural crime is a big issue in the county, and we’re pleased that they have recruited more rural crime police specialists to help tackle this huge problem. We need rural crime to be a top priority and for the authorities to continue to work with our members to deliver positive long-term and short-term results.”
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Hide AdThis article is part of a special campaign run by The Lancashire Post and The Blackpool Gazette, aiming to raise awareness of silent crimes within the region. The focus of the silent crime campaign running across National World is to highlight those crimes that are often under-reported or under-investigated by the authorities.