South Shropshire MP talks 'major issue' of rural crime in huge week for the matter

The MP for South Shropshire has issued a message backing the fight against rural crime.

Conservative politician Stuart Anderson issued the statement to coincide with National Rural Crime Action Week 2026.

The action week is organised by the Countryside Alliance and the National Rural Crime Network.

It takes place between September 6 and September 11 this year.

In 2025, rural crime cost £41.5 million nationally, and £6.4 million in the Midlands alone, according to NFU Mutual's Annual Rural Crime Report.

Set against this backdrop, for this year’s National Rural Crime Action Week, Mr Anderson said: “Rural crime is a major issue - it has a devastating impact on farmers, businesses, and families.

“National Rural Crime Action Week, organised by the Countryside Alliance and the National Rural Crime Network, shines a vital light on the impact of rural crime and calls for positive change.”

He added: “We need proper resourcing to ensure people in South Shropshire feel safe and supported where they live.

“The Conservatives would launch dedicated rural crime task forces across the country, ensure a dedicated share of 10,000 new police recruits goes to rural areas, and make the theft of tools and high-value farming equipment an aggravating factor in sentencing with higher fines to compensate victims for replacement and lost earnings."

The South Shropshire MP has made backing his constituency’s farmers and rural workers a key pillar of his work.

Earlier this week, in a tribute to the constituency’s farmers for Back British Farming Day 2026, Mr Anderson said that he “will keep standing up” for them to make certain that they are heard loud and clear.