‘Everyone looks out for each other in community’
AWARD-WINNING PUBLICAN, chef and entrepreneur Michael Ibbotson believes the strength of the community can be the biggest factor in combating rural crime.
The former Provenance Inns co-founder and managing director, who owns and runs the Durham Ox in Crayke in Hambleton, had high-value tools and equipment stolen from outbuildings in a planned raid during some renovation work.
He said the theft was “more of an inconvenience than anything” and was sorted out through an insurance claim.
He said: “However, it does make you angry as you know that what are considered valuable pieces of kit for working people will probably end up being scrapped or sold for a few quid at a car boot or online. It can really impact on people’s livelihoods.
“We had skips and building materials visible from the road. Four people had come looking for scrap metal earlier in the day, two came down the garden to talk to us and the other two must have had a look around our buildings to see what we had that was worth stealing. It was too much of a coincidence that the same night it was all gone.
“If we had thought about it we would have parked vehicles across the locked gates, but we were so busy and had such a lot going on, we assumed a locked courtyard and locked buildings would be enough. It’s the little things that you don’t notice straight away, like the battery packs off the bikes and other charging units – all useless when they don’t match up to the relevant equipment and probably chucked in a hedge somewhere.
“Running village pubs, you speak to a lot of farmers and you can see that crime has a real impact and it can make them feel powerless. That is why having a strong community around you is so important. A strong village community is an old-fashioned concept, but having nosy neighbours really does work. Everyone looks out for each other and shares information, it’s very important.
“Hopefully, people know that if they see some equipment that is being sold cheaply, it is likely to have been stolen.”