The second national rural crime seminar is set to go ahead Thursday (8th November), with senior police officers, farmers and industry representatives meeting to discuss current trends in rural crime and effective means of tackling problems.

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The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) event, sponsored by rural insurers NFU Mutual, will take place in Kettering, Northamptonshire. According to NFU Mutual, the cost of rural crime rose by 5 percent between 2010 and 2011.

The event will examine methods which could prevent farmers from falling victim to rural crime. Prime targets have traditionally been machinery and metal such as gates, which has also led to the loss of livestock in some instances, though in recent years improved livestock prices have led to a rise in rustling against falling levels of machinery and vehicle theft. Livestock theft is seen as a lucrative 'soft option' by criminal gangs, who have been particularly active in Scotland and North-West England. Theft of heating oil is also still common, as fuel prices remain high.

However, police forces have said that initiatives such as Lancashire Constabulary's 'rural crime crackdown' last month and advances in communications and community involvement have bolstered crime prevention efforts throughout the UK's rural regions. Farmwatch schemes and improved communications technologies have enabled rural residents to share and access information about potential risks as they occur.

The ACPO seminar will look into best practice in preventing metal and livestock thefts and continuing to improve the community-based approach to tackling rural crime. NFU Mutual warned that, as the nights draw in, crimes in rural regions may increase. Rural locations present favourable targets for criminals due to their relative isolation.

The insurers advised farmers to take measures to deter criminals, including installing security lighting, locking outbuildings, joining a Farmwatch scheme and considering keeping animals that could raise an alarm, such as dogs or geese.

Matthew Scott, a spokesperson for NFU Mutual added, "We fully appreciate the serious effect rural crime is having on the countryside, [but] by acting as the eyes and ears of the countryside, and communicating using phone, email, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter, individuals can send a strong message to criminals that the countryside is no longer an easy target."

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