The NFU has today launched a new service for farmers and the public to give information anonymously about rural crime, in partnership with the charity Crimestoppers.

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The “Rural Crime Reporting Line” is part of the NFU’s ongoing work to tackle the serious issues surrounding criminal behaviour on farms and in the wider countryside.

By ringing 0800 783 0137 or visiting www.ruralcrimereportingline.uk, farmers, rural businesses and the public can anonymously give information about crime relating to:

• large-scale, industrial fly-tipping
• hare coursing
• machinery theft; or
• livestock theft

The service, supported by the police, will be unveiled today to MPs at a launch event in Westminster where they are being urged to encourage their constituents to use the service and give information about these crimes in their area.

NFU Deputy President Guy Smith said: “Rural crime can be devastating for farmers and their businesses and it is something that many experience all too often. With suspected links to organised crime, these crimes often go under-reported and its true extent remains unknown.

“The NFU has teamed up with the charity Crimestoppers to provide a service for farmers and the public to give information anonymously about these crimes. With relevant information being passed to the police, this service could help to provide key leads in the pursuit of these criminals.

“I want to encourage anyone who has experienced, witnessed or has any information about these rural crimes to come forward and call the line - your information could be extremely valuable.

“The NFU has been consistently leading on engaging with MPs, government and police to help begin to put a stop to these destructive crimes. Nearly a year on from releasing our Rural Crime Report, the NFU has brought this issue to the forefront of its activity and we continue to call on the Government to form a cross-departmental task force to focus on rural crime and address the failures in dealing with it.

“It is time that we saw some considerable action being taken by government and police to curb increasing levels of crime in the countryside, and allow farmers to do what they do best – producing food for the nation.”

Crimestoppers’ Director of Business Development Rodger Holden said: “The NFU should be applauded for launching the Rural Crime Reporting Line in partnership with the charity Crimestoppers, on behalf of all farmers and their communities.  This is a joined up initiative, supported by law enforcement, that strives to reduce and detect crimes that directly threaten people’s livelihoods, their peace of mind, and are a real cost to us all. We all have a responsibility to support the countryside by working together to combat criminal activity.”

You can call the dedicated Rural Crime Reporting Line to give information anonymously about any one of the four crime types listed here, after the crime has been committed.

Large-scale, industrial fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste, usually on farmland. In 2015/16 there were 936,000 incidents of fly-tipping, a 4% increase since 2015/16. Waste can be costly and time consuming to remove. It’s also dangerous to human health, wildlife and livestock. When fly-tipping takes place on private land, it is the landowner’s responsibility to remove the dumped waste often at great cost.

Hare-coursing is the pursuit of hares with dogs, often for the purposes of betting. It takes place on areas of flat, open land where the dogs can easily and visibly pursue the hare. It is typically carried out by large groups of people who travel long distances. It is illegal under the Hunting Act but it also has other impacts, for example: fences and gates can be damaged by vehicles forcibly trying to gain access to land.

Livestock theft can be a lucrative criminal activity due to the good prices that can often be received for cattle and sheep. The crime can range from losing hundreds of animals to just one of two. The loss of stock leads to significant financial losses and can also have further impacts on the business such as losing breeding stock.

Machinery theft: farm machinery is often expensive and the business is dependent on it. For example, a stolen tractor could mean crops can’t be harvested or a stolen quad bike means livestock can’t be fed. There isn’t a big market for second-hand farm machinery in the UK, so high value items can often be stolen to order and then sent abroad. Farmers have experienced violence when confronting thieves on their land – which is often remote and difficult to secure.

if a crime is in progress, there is an emergency, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used, you should call 999 immediately. If you don't need an emergency response, you can call 101.