Star comment: Help catch the sheep rustlers
It sounds terribly quaint: our sleepy, rural county has fallen victim to gangs of sheep rustlers. But for the farmers on the receiving end, it's no joke.
– hitting them in the pocket to the tune of £250,000.
Shropshire and Mid Wales are among the worst hit areas of the UK.
Thankfully, police are taking the matter extremely seriously and are making considerable efforts to snare the rustlers.
They will be visiting wholesale butchers and livestock vehicles to conduct random spot checks. The message is clear; the perpetrators will be tracked down and found.
Officers are co-ordinating action in a joint initiative involving officers in both Shrophsire and Dyfed-Powys. There will be no hiding place.
Shropshire Council is also participating in the clampdown in a bid to smoke out the offenders.
Rustling is the last thing farmers need. Agriculture is a tough occupation and farmers have struggled to make ends meet in recent years.
Their vulnerability to rustlers is inescapable. Sheep farms are frequently located in the county's most isolated areas and farmers can do little to prevent themselves from falling victim to such crimes.
Rustlers can drive-by at night, round up the herd, load them onto a truck and be gone without trace.
The public, however, could prove to be farmers' biggest allies as they attempt to catch the culprits.
Officers believe that the rustled sheep are being slaughtered and butchered in residential areas. The implications are clear: neighbours, relatives and others who know of such activities should call the police.
The agricultural economy is supremely important to Shropshire and Mid Wales.
It provides significant levels of employment and generates substantial income for the region. In many ways, the local economy depends on local farmers.
Farmers are the custodians of the countryside. They are the ones who keep our green and pleasant land in exceptional shape. If their profits are hit, they would be unable to afford to maintain it.
It is good news that the police are clamping down on rustlers and we can all play a part by reporting any suspicious activity to local officers.
