RURAL crime is on the rise in Pembrokeshire, and farmers are using creative methods to prevent theft in their areas, according to a newly released report.

Farmers across Wales are “combining medieval methods with high tech security” to combat rural crime according to NFU Mutual’s latest annual crime report.

The report shows the cost of criminal activity in the countryside rose to £1.9m last year, a 41 per cent increase on the previous year’s cost of £1.3m.

Neil Davies, an agent for the NFU in Pembrokeshire said: “We’re concerned to see rural crime on the rise, which is being fuelled by determined thieves who are targeting farms, rural homes and businesses.

“Trailers and farm machinery and vehicles have been topping the thieves’ wish list locally and we’d urge people to share information about suspicious activity with rural watch schemes and the local police.

“At NFU Mutual we are working closely with communities and the police to combat rural crime.”

 

Damage to the Gors Fawr stone circle in the Preselis is being investigated by police as a heritage crime in a rural area.

Across the UK farmers have been digging ditches and building palisade fences to protect their equipment, as well as employing state of the art CCTV.

In Pembrokeshire, PC Gerwyn Davies said he has seen farmers use agricultural machinery to block entrances to fields during bank holidays as a way to stop illegal raves.

The officer has also seen sheep farmers in Ceredigion paint their flocks in distinctive colouring to make potential rustlers easier to catch.

He said Dyfed-Powys Police are now working to forge stronger links with rural communities to make sure crimes in isolated areas is reported more often.

“Rural communities are saying they want officers to turn up with an understanding of their issues – officers with a farming background,” he said.

“A third of crime in rural communities went unreported because they didn’t think anything was going to be done about it.”

The force has already launched a rural crime team which is at work across Ceredigion, and is planning to launch a similar initiative for Pembrokeshire.

 

PCSO Caryl Griffiths and PC Esther Davies are part of the new specialist rural crime team set up in Ceredigion.

Rural crime in Wales saw the highest percentage rise in any area of the UK in NFU Mutual’s report.

Despite this high percentage rise, the actual cost of £1.9m is the second lowest amount across the country.

The region with the lowest cost of rural crime was Scotland, where it totalled £1.5m; meanwhile the cost in the Midlands topped the chart at £8.8m.