There has been a recent plant theft worth £20,000 from farm at Bishops Wood occurred on Monday 20th January. A JCB Mini Digger and power barrow was stolen from the address between the hours of 5pm on Sunday 19th January and 8am on Monday 20th January.
If you have any information relating to this incident can you please call please on 101 or online quoting police reference number 00106_I_22012026.
Rural crime has no set definition but can be very broadly classified as any crime and anti-social behaviour occurring in rural areas. It is often linked to Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) who target and exploit rural communities across a range of crime types, for example organised plant theft, livestock theft, burglaries targeting firearms, poaching and hare coursing.
The NPCC (National Police Chiefs Council) has developed a Rural Affairs Strategywhich sets out police priorities in this area:
Farm machinery, plant and vehicle theft - including quad bikes, modern and vintage tractors, tools and equipment from outbuildings.
Livestock offences - including theft,worrying and attacks.
Fuel theft - including heating oil, diesel and petrol.
Equine crime - including horse trailer and horse box theft, horse theft, tack theft, fly grazing and neglect.
Fly tipping - including household and commercial waste, waste through organised criminality.
Poaching which crosses over with the wildlife priorities - including hare coursing, deer poaching, fish poaching.
Heritage crime - It is also important to recognise that rural crime and antisocial behaviour have an adverse impact on the historic environment and heritage assets found across the United Kingdom - including the theft of metal from church buildings, unlawful metal detecting and interference with historic shipwrecks.
If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.westmercia.police.uk, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.
Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
