South Shropshire MP campaigning for government to 'call time on rural crime'

Stuart Anderson says the Government must "call time on rural crime" after stating it cost farmers £52.8 million last year according to the National Farmers' Union (NFU).

In a recent report, the organisation has reported what Mr Anderson labels a "worrying upsurge" in the theft of agriculture vehicles, quad bikes, and livestock. He adds by stating that the report says rural offences have risen by 22 per cent with an estimated total of £49.5 million in insurance claims.

Moreover, Mr Anderson says the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has "found that many police forces lack sufficient numbers of dedicated rural officers."

However, the South Shropshire MP did state that rural crime fallen by 34.6 per cent in Shropshire during the last year, but has cost farmers more than £2.3 million.

Mr Anderson says the Government should "reform the national police funding formula," and "establish a rural uplift to recognise the extra challenges of policing rural areas."

In a letter to Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson, Mr Anderson also said that the Government "must continue with the Safer Streets Fund and expand it to include rural priorities," that will enable "police forces to invest in equipment such as torches and lamps, drone kits, and cameras."

The MP for South Shropshire is also campaigning to continue the fly-tipping grant scheme that saw the previous government award nearly £1.2million to help more than 30 councils tackle fly-tipping in their areas.

Mr Anderson said: "I want people everyone in South Shropshire to feel more secure in their communities and able to live their lives free from the threat of crime. We must call time on rural crime.

"Although down by a third in Shropshire, the continued prevalence of rural crime is very concerning. It devastates lives and livelihoods, costing farmers in Shropshire more than £2.3 million last year.

"The new government must ensure that the police have the funding necessary to keep communities safe. The current funding formula no longer accurately reflects demand on policing, so I have called on the government to review it and include a rural uplift to reflect the extra challenges in policing rural areas.

"I have also asked the government to continue with schemes to tackle the blight of fly-tipping on our countryside and invest in local crime prevention by expanding the Safer Streets Fund. This would help the Police to purchase new equipment needed to tackle rural crime."