One in five rural residents consider leaving due to crime

One in five people living in rural areas is considering leaving the countryside due to fear of crime, according to a survey by the Countryside Alliance.

Of 1,700 responses, the majority considered rural crime to be a significant issue locally and complained that the police are not taking their concerns seriously enough.

See also: Funding boost to tackle rural and wildlife crime

NFU Mutual’s latest rural crime report (from 2024) highlighted that the cost of rural crime increased by 4.3% year-on-year in 2023, to £52.8m, as criminal gangs targeted farmyards and fields.

“Tackling crime and increasing police visibility is a major priority for people who live in the countryside,” said Tim Bonner, Countryside Alliance chief executive.

He added that while awareness of the issue in Westminster might be increasing, this is not reflected in the experience of rural people.

Key findings

Almost three-quarters of those surveyed (73%) think crime has increased in the past 12 months and rural communities feel less safe.

Almost half (48%) of respondents felt intimidated by criminals or criminality, while 39% had personally experienced rural crime in the past year.

Some 44% of these incidents involved fly-tipping, 32% concerned agricultural machinery theft and 31% were associated with hare or deer poaching.

Action needed

The Countryside Alliance has called for action to be taken through the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023.

The Act targets the theft and re-sale of equipment used by tradespeople and agricultural and other businesses, requiring that they be fitted with engine immobilisers, securely marked and recorded when sold.

Police and magistrates should also make greater use of their powers and more support should be offered to the National Rural Crime Unit, the alliance says.

Reporting issues

For their part, rural communities are urged to report livestock thefts as the survey highlighted that nearly a third of crimes (32%) are unreported.

But nearly half of people who reported an incident said they were dissatisfied with the response and thought the police could not be relied on.

Police response

“Tackling crime in rural areas is just as important as in our towns and cities,” said Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner.

Mr Grunshaw said he had established rural taskforces in his previous term and was pleased to see them thriving.  

“These teams understand the unique challenges of policing rural areas, and their results speak for themselves. However, it’s clear we need to do more to make an even bigger difference to our rural community’s safety and security,” he said.