As Rural Crime week took place last week (October 6 - 13) NFU Cymru county advisers met with Dyfed-Powys Police to discuss a recent spike in farm thefts.

Every year NFU Mutual gathers claims statistics to provide a detailed picture of the financial and social impact of rural crime. In 2018 the cost of rural crime in the UK reached its highest since 2011, although in Wales it actually fell by just over seven per cent.

While farm thefts have a very obvious financial implication for those businesses who fall victim to these crimes, NFU Cymru says significant concern also surrounds the subsequent feeling of intrusion and intimidation caused by these incidents and the impact this is having on the well-being of those residing in rural Wales.

Joe Mault, NFU Cymru county adviser for Montgomeryshire said: “Farmers and rural communities working together with dedicated rural crime officers is a huge step in the right direction towards cutting down the amount of rural thefts. Stamping out rural crime is a two-way relationship. It is not just about one party doing something about it, but instead farmers and the police working together to help deter thieves, and finding a way to reduce the crime rates in rural communities.”

Stella Owen, NFU Cymru county adviser for Brecon and Radnor added: “Please continue to lock belongings up and remove keys. It is vitally important that every rural crime incident is reported to the police, no matter how small it may seem it counts, and I urge you all to report anything suspicious, or any theft that has taken place, in order to in order to generate an accurate picture of the level of rural crime occurring in Welsh rural communities.”