HOME Secretary Theresa May has visited the area to praise a crime initiative which brings farmers, auctioneers and the police together to tackle livestock and machinery theft.

Mrs May called at Brookhouse near Caton to hear about the creation of a farmer support network - an idea that could be replicated nationwide.

The initiative involves five auction markets in Lancashire along with the J36 Rural Auction Centre at Crooklands.

The minister said: “What is great about the initiative I’ve heard about today is that local farmers are taking it upon themselves to educate police officers about the agricultural industry in order to help tackle rural crime."

During the trip, organised by Lancaster and FleetwoodMP Eric Ollerenshaw, the Home Secretary visited Lots House Farm in Brookhouse, which is run by NFU Lancashire county chairman John Taylor.

The support network - set up following a series of sheep thefts in Lancashire - feeds to the police and NFU any information that helps build a greater intelligence picture on rural crime.

They have also pledged to be available to attend, along with another farmer, a premises or situation where the police believe that livestock could be stolen and to hold suspected stolen livestock on their farms if the need arises.

Mr Taylor said: “The participating auction marts have agreed to hold stolen livestock for a period of up to 48 hours when the police do not feel that they should move to their destination.

“The scheme will provide a payment of 50p per head per day for sheep and £2 per head per day for cattle to cover the costs incurred by the auction or farmer. This is being funded by the NFU Mutual.”

In addition, the Food Standards Agency has agreed to provide support to the initiative and provide intelligence back to the police through their work at abattoirs. They are working in partnership with the police to target illegal abattoirs operating across the county as these tend to be a route by which some stolen sheep are processed.

Mr Taylor’s Lots House Farm is also used as a venue for police training. Rural and wildlife crime officers have been identified across Lancashire and have attended on-farm training on awareness of the livestock industry as well as some basic livestock handling training - including tagging of sheep.