High Peak MP Robert Largan has written to the Home Secretary, highlighting the eight-year high in rural crime in 2019. This has cost £54 million for the UK, which has been worsened by the coronavirus crisis.

According to NFU Mutual, Derbyshire was one of the 30 worst affected counties by cost. This led to local businesses losing £929,134 to rural crime in 2019. The coronavirus crisis has seen a 15 per cent annual increase in livestock theft, alongside rises in fly tipping and stolen vehicles.

Farmers have introduced new security measures, including security gates, rural watch groups, and surveillance. Robert Largan MP has written an open letter to the Home Secretary to raise awareness of this issue and call for action to tackle the increase in rural crime through an independent review.

Robert Largan MP commented:

“Behind these rural crime stats are tragic stories of farmers and rural residents who have seen their homes and livelihoods harmed by criminal behaviour. These are difficult times and criminality cannot go unpunished.

“It is essential that the Home Secretary should reaffirm law and order through the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers and tougher sentencing. We need to be creative and think hard about how we can tackle rural crime.”