The NFU (National Farmers’ Union) is calling for immediate and decisive action from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and central government to address what it terms the growing wave of equipment theft, livestock worrying and fly-tipping. The farming body is asking for more funding for rural policing and dedicated rural crime teams; more use of technology, such as CCTV and vehicle trackers, to prevent theft; stronger penalties and more consistent sentencing for rural crime offences; better support for victims of rural crime; and better collaboration between police, councils and communities.
What they say
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos said: “Farmers are bearing the brunt of rural crime. It’s not just an inconvenience – it’s devastating for farm businesses, families, and the wider rural community.
“The theft of essential equipment and livestock, relentless fly-tipping, and the growing menace of hare coursing leave farmers feeling vulnerable and unsupported.
“And this is happening at a time when family farms are already under immense pressure from soaring input costs, extreme weather events, and the looming burden of the family farm tax.
“We’ve been calling for action for years – now we need real results. We need more investment in rural policing, tougher penalties, and consistent sentencing for those who target our communities, as outlined in the government’s own rural crime strategy.
“Farmers are proud of their work to feed the nation, and they deserve to feel safe in their homes and businesses. PCCs and government must step up and deliver the support our sector desperately needs.
“But this isn’t just about government – the public has an important role to play too. We urge people to take precautions when walking near livestock, ensure their dogs are under control, and report any suspicious activity they see.”
Fly-tipping
As for fly-tipping, for the 2023/24 year, local authorities in England dealt with some 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents, an increase of 6 per cent from the 1.08 million reported in 2022/23. The most common place for fly-tipping to occur was on highways (pavements and roads), followed by footpaths and bridleways; while the most common size categories for fly-tipping incidents in 2023/24 were equivalent to a ‘small van load’ or a ‘car boot or less’. Some 47,000 or around 4pc of total incidents were of ‘tipper lorry load’ size or larger. London had the highest average number of incidents per 1,000 people; the south west region had the lowest.
Enforcement
Councils carried out 528,000 enforcement actions, slightly fewer than the year before; and issued 63,000 fixed penalty notices, another decrease compared with the previous year. The number of court fines also decreased, from 1,491 in 2022-23 to 1,378 in 2023-24. The total of fly-tipping rose noticeably in the year 2020-21, probably due to the covid pandemic pushing people towards dumping their waste rather than using council tips; then the annual totals fell slightly, but the 2023-24 total has gone above the 2020-21 level. For the statistics in full visit the Defra (Department
for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) website.
Conference
The National Rural Crime Annual Conference 2025 runs on March 25. Visit https://nationalruralcrimenetwork.net/annual-conference-2025/.
