A EWE hostelling initiative that is the brainchild of a north Lancashire farmer has been given the go-ahead by top officials.

The initiative, which helps farmers and livestock auction marts to look after and maintain the integrity of suspected stolen sheep while the police investigate, has been agreed upon by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) and leading rural insurer NFU Mutual to fund.

Sheep farmer John Taylor, who farms at Lots House, Brookhouse, near Caton, developed the scheme and is already successfully operating it in his home county of Lancashire with farmers, the constabulary, livestock auction marts and insurance companies working well together.

In order for the scheme to be adapted or adopted in other counties successfully, it was imperative that a signed and sealed memorandum of understanding between the National Police Chief’s Council and the NFU Mutual was in place.

Witnessed by NFU representatives at the 2016 National Rural Crime Seminar earlier this week, the memorandum of understanding was signed by Chief Constable Simon Prince of Dyfed Powys Police - the national policing lead for rural and wildlife crime) and NFU Mutual’s chief claims manager Matthew Scott.

Mr Taylor, a former NFU Lancashire County Chairman, said: "This initiative began its life as a favour for a mate, became a project and is now a useful asset which will hopefully evolve. The initiative’s success in Lancashire resulted in livestock crime being pushed out of the county, sadly into our neighbouring ones.

"My hope is that every constabulary adopts this approach so that eventually livestock crime is eradicated completely."

Under the agreement of the scheme NFU Mutual has agreed to provide funding for the costs of housing livestock in certain situations which will allow police forces participating in the scheme to carry out thorough investigations in livestock theft cases. This is known as lairage

Following the signing of the document, Chief Constable Simon Prince said: "I think theft of livestock has a very serious impact on the rural economy and those businesses within it. The memorandum of understanding will assist officers in tackling this crime. We are delighted to be working with the NFU and NFU Mutual to protect farmers."