Rural crime: Farmers ‘feel like sitting ducks’
The second of two stories this week about the impact of rural crime.
A farmer who saw a sharp rise in crime on her land has told how she has blocked 50 gateways, dug ditches around fields and hired a private security firm to protect her business.
Freya Morgan, 57, said the 10 crimes on her north Bedfordshire farm in 2020 included hare coursing and fly-tipping.
The security upgrades have cost her at least £12,000, she estimates.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has called on police forces to increase resources for tackling rural crime.
It said a survey of its members had revealed that rural crime had cost the average victim £5,100, with one in 10 respondents putting the bill at £10,000 or more.
Mrs Morgan said: “Our main issue is hare coursing – when organised criminals chase hares for large bets of money.”
As well as spending about £8,000 putting up about 50 lockable gates to fields and tracks on the farm, she has dug ditches “as a physical barrier” and erected a £4,000 electric entrance gate.
Fly-tipping is another blight, including “the odd caravan dump”.
The county’s rural policing team is based a 90-minute drive away at Dunstable.
Mrs Morgan said: “We need more rural police officers and we need them distributed about the county better.”
Since last year, she has paid £50 a month to a private security firm which conducts night patrols.
“It’s a good return, as you go to bed at night knowing that someone is keeping an eye on your property when you cannot do it.
“No other workplace has this level of damage or risk sitting over their business.”