'We worry about rural crime constantly'

Police have been visiting farmers and rural communities in the county to try and crack down on rural crime.

Members of the Church Stretton Safer Neighbourhood Team within West Mercia Police headed to farms to give tips and reassurance on how to prevent thefts, as well as handing out electronic trackers.

It is part of Operation Whitebeam - which aims to tackle rural crime.

"It's something that we worry about continually really," said Onibury farmer Peter Alderson, "we get up the in the morning and we think about it, and we've got it in the back of our mind all day long."

"We make sure we try and make our farm as safe as we can at night when we finish work."

His wife, Lyn, added: "I just think it's nice to know that the police are engaging with the farming community."

PC Henry King-Salter said recommended people made it as "difficult as possible" for thieves.

"A lot of those measures are obvious, such as keeping gates locked, keeping doors padlocked, keeping vehicles locked and the keys not in them," he said.

On one farm they visited, the owners had positioned trailers in the opposite direction, meaning thieves would have to manoeuvre them within the yard.

"[It] just takes longer, makes more noise, so therefore that's a simple measure that would potentially put off a thief."

"We do still hear a lot that people are reluctant to report crime to us because they think: 'What's the point, the police won't be able to solve it.'"

"We cant solve every crime, but if we're not even aware of it, we definitely can't solve it."

The force is also encouraging people to report suspicious activity - not just crime.

PCSO Calvin Brown said feedback from the community meant that the police knew what issues to target.

"The community is the eyes and ears as well," he said.

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