Rural crime in England and Wales costs more than £800 million a year, according to a survey carried out by the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN). This is twenty-one times more than previous estimates suggest.
The figure is calculated by the average cost of crimes reported in the survey, multiplied by the total number of crimes in rural areas reported from May 2014 to April 2015. Within this, the average cost to businesses was found to be £4,000, whilst to rural households it was £2,500.
Fly tipping and road safety are among the greatest concerns of the rural community, according to the survey.
Julia Mulligan, chair of the NRCN and police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire, said that the low satisfaction rates surveyed regarding the police in the rural community need to be a “wake-up call” to police forces in these areas. The satisfaction rate (where police were rated as ‘good/ excellent’) was 63% across England and Wales generally, compared to just 39% in rural areas
Among seven recommendations made as a result of the survey, the NRCN said there needed to be a review of the funding formula for police resources in the countryside.
The above is not legal advice; it is intended to provide information of general interest about current legal issues.
Gepp & Sons have possibly the most experienced and established Rural Services Legal Team in the region. If you have any legal questions relating to farming and businesses in the rural community please contact Edward Worthy on either 01245 493939 or worthye@gepp.co.uk
