Bosworth Lib Dems call for action on rural crime levels -Cllr Michael Mullaney

Following the publication of a report showing that rural crime has hit a seven-y ear high, costing the UK £50m in 2018 and up 12% on the previous year, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: "These figures only confirm what people in rural areas have known for a long time. As government gets ever more centralised our country areas are increasingly left behind. Successive policing ministers may have forgotten the countryside but It is clear that the criminals have not. A visible presence from police that understand the needs of rural communities now has to be a priority."

The report, issued by NFU mutual, showed that farms and isolated rural areas were especially at risk.

Hinckley and Bosworth Cabinet member for Community Safety Liberal Democrat Cllr Michael Mullaney said: "Knocking on doors in a number of villages in our borough recently I have been repeatedly told about cases of thefts and other crime taking place in the rural areas.

"It shows again how the Conservative government assume they speak for rural areas but sit back and do very little for them. Their record speaks for itself. The Tories have taken 5,000 police off the beat since 2015, with rural areas bearing much of the brunt of this".

Michael Mullaney, added: "The government must fully reverse the cuts to our police and ensure our rural areas are supported in the fight against crime".

The full report can be seen here: https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/farming/ruralcrime/

A regional breakdown of figures can be found here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/05/rural-crime-in-britain-hits-seven-year-high?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other