Rural Crime News

Hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of stolen machinery and equipment was recovered last weekend, North Yorkshire Police confirmed.

Northamptonshire Police appealed for information following a tractor theft in Polebrook.

Farming campaigners have welcomed a new crackdown on cowboy waste operators that aims at tackling soaring fly-tipping in rural areas. 

Devon & Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team has recently issued a plea for help to find a therapy sheep Bertha that was stolen from the North Devon area. 

Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Stamford, has proposed a new clause which makes theft of high value farming equipment an aggravating factor on sentencing.

Two arrests have been made following an incident in which a man was struck by a vehicle while confronting suspected poachers near Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hampshire Police confirmed. 

The NFU is working to tackle sheep worrying and rural crime. Sheep farmer and NFU member Emily Gascoigne shares her personal experiences and her support of DNA testing and increasing legal protections.

A savage attack on a pedigree ewe worth £3,000 is the latest of a series of dog attacks on a Derbyshire couple’s farm in one of the Peak District’s most popular tourist spots. 

NFU Mutual has warned farmers that lambs are at high risk of dog attacks as Easter falls late this year. 

“They knew what they were doing. They went in, smashed the window and got what they wanted,” said Will Lacey, whose farm shop was targeted by thieves. 

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched the livestock worrying awareness week to highlight the ongoing failure of UK dog owners to recognise the threat their pet animals pose to farm livestock, especially sheep. 

Farmers have been advised to be alert and report any suspicious activity following incidents of attempted livestock theft in Scotland.