WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Rural people are living in fear of crime and feel let down by the authorities and ignored, according to the 2018 National
Rural Crime Survey. The survey by the National Rural Crime Network interviewed 20,000 people and found 69% of farmers and ruralspecific business owners have been victims of crime over the past 12 months; 60% say they are worried about becoming a victim of crime in the future.
Meanwhile, a report by NFU Mutual which focused exclusively on the farming industry found that rural crime cost the UK £44.5m in 2017, an increase of 13.4% on the previous year – the fastest rate since 2010.