Lancashire Constabulary has announced a week-long crackdown on rural crime. Under Operation Firecrest, expert help has been engaged from HMRC, Environment Agency and Wildlife groups and officers have been engaging with farmers to share crime prevention advice.

However, senior police officers have said vigilance and communication are still vitally important in efforts to drive down crime in rural regions, where police resources are often stretched. Lancashire Police recommends farmers join a Farm Watch scheme to keep abreast of developments in their area. Under such schemes, farmers have access to information on suspicious activity and crime alerts.

So far, the operation has led to 16 arrests, police sources claim. The arrests were for a variety of offences including theft and poaching and resulted in the recovery of around £16,000 of stolen goods. Police said the most common crimes in rural Lancashire include illegal hunting and coursing, theft of machinery and from outbuildings and scrap metal theft.

In response to a rise in the number of livestock thefts in the county, police officers on the Lancashire force began a stop and search campaign on lorries. Officers searching lorries have demanded drivers provide papers for their animals.

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