Shropshire rural crime at an all time high

Shropshire farmers fear rural crime is at an 'all-time high' as insurers revealed farms are being targeted for tools, fuel and tractors. They say the thefts are a sign the harsh economic climate is still biting.

They urged the public to help them beat the criminals who have been 'helping themselves to anything'.

That message was repeated by police who say although crime was continuing to fall in the county, there was no room for complacency.

And they say community working is the key to reducing rates further.

Knockin farmer Charlie Brown said the recent theft of straw bales from fields he owns demonstrated how bad the situation had become.

Mr Brown is one victim of thieves who have stolen more than 100 giant bales of straw from three isolated fields near Oswestry since August 18.

Mr Brown: "I do believe thefts from farms are at an all-time high. They are helping themselves to anything."

NFU Shropshire spokes- man Oliver Cartwright said a NFU Mutual nationwide survey looked found that the cost of theft from UK farms was estimated to have risen to £49.7m last year – an increase of 17 per cent from the previous year.

The survey also found that in Shropshire the most stolen items were tools, oil/diesel and tractors. The most stolen items in Wales were tools and fuel.

Police spokesman Richard Ewels said bales theft was 'highly unusual'. He said: "I personally can't recall theft of that nature to that extent before."