FARMERS, landowners and anyone living in the Craven countryside are being urged to help protect rural policing.

With confidence in rural policing already lower than in towns and cities, and an increase in thefts in the countryside, the fight is on to ensure central government does not reduce funding for rural police forces - as feared.

It comes after national publicity was given to the theft of sheep and how police forces, including North Yorkshire, have been educating officers on the correct identification of different breeds to help locating them easier.

The Craven branch of the National Farmers Union (NFU) has also been helping with education and helped set up places where recovered stolen sheep can be taken.

Stephen Dew, Craven group secretary of the National Farmers Union (NFU) based in Skipton, said rural crime had been a particular problem for a long time, but had peaked in recent years.

We have seen a particular rise in sheep and machinery thefts. Sheep are often taken from remote moorland and machinery thefts range from quad bikes through to LandRover’s that are literally stripped of parts while parked in the farmyard overnight.

"In response to this the NFU has been working closely with the police in order to hammer home the importance of adequate resources being allocated to rural crime."

Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire and chairman of the National Rural Crime Network (NRCC), said: “There is real concern both from representatives of rural communities like our network, and those communities themselves, that without proper resourcing for rural police forces that some crimes and anti-social behaviour might not get the attention they deserve.”

She said trust in rural policing was already very low, particularly when compared to those in towns and cities.

"If the Government doesn’t sufficiently recognise the needs of rural people, and therefore rural policing, that trust will only diminish," she said.

"We may then be in a vicious cycle of under-reporting, because of lack of trust and resources to deal with issues, which will then lead to further under-reporting.”

Mr Dew said much was already being done to tackle crime in rural areas with police regularly attending auction markets, including in Skipton, to talk to farmers.

"The police have established strong communication links with farmers utilising a mobile texting service to keep the rural community updated on crimes and suspicious activity as well as attending the local auction markets to improve their presence and further build on the rural network that is required to combat the criminals at large," he said.

"The NFU is helping the police learn more about identification and movement of sheep and has arranged for training on a local farm in this respect. This builds on an initiative whereby the police have more ability to impound suspicious trailer loads of animals while they complete their enquiries."

He added: "Policing is a challenge in rural areas but the NFU does feel that the police are at last taking the matter seriously and working hard to apprehend those responsible and reduce this huge cost and inconvenience to farmers."

Chief Inspector Nick Hunter, North Yorkshire Police lead for rural crime, said partnership working was the key to tackling rural crime.

"This scheme shows how police, communities and other rural stakeholders can work together to prevent and detect livestock theft," he said.

"Finding suitable lairage for stolen livestock in particular has always been a problem so the creation of a lairage network is a real boost. "We look forward to working with farmers, NFU Mutual and the NFU as we further develop this scheme across the region.”

The NRCN has been asking people in rural communities for their views about policing and intends to release its research next month.

But indications are that trust in policing in rural areas is much lower than in urban areas and that only a third believe the police respond to areas of concern - compared to two thirds nationally.

The NRCN is urging the government to reconsider proposed changes to how police forces are funded, which it believes will result in less money for North Yorkshire.

To find out more about the government's consultation and to sign the rural policing petition, visit nationalruralcrimenetwork.net