'This has to stop': NFU demands funding reform to tackle rural crime

Rural crime cost the UK £44.1 million last year, prompting fresh calls for fairer police funding as farming leaders warn “this has to stop”.

The NFU has brought together policing bodies, rural organisations and insurers to push for reform of the current funding model, arguing it fails to reflect the true cost of policing the countryside.

Chaired by NFU vice-president Robyn Munt, the roundtable included Police and Crime Commissioners, the National Rural Crime Network and the National Rural Crime Unit, alongside NFU Mutual and the Rural Services Network.

Participants said funding must better reflect the realities of policing large, sparsely populated areas, where resources are often stretched and response times longer. Current funding formulas are widely criticised for relying on outdated data and failing to capture the scale of rural demand.

Despite a 16.5% fall in costs compared with 2023, the financial impact of countryside crime remains significant for farm businesses across the UK.

That impact is not just economic. Farmers say offending in rural areas continues to affect both their livelihoods and sense of safety at home.

Freya Morgan, NFU Bedfordshire county chair, gave a first-hand account of the impact on her arable farm, describing incidents ranging from hare coursing to vehicle theft. “Rural crime is real, we live in it, we see it,” she said.

“The farm is not only our place of work, it’s our home.”

Munt said farm businesses are being repeatedly targeted by criminals who see the countryside as vulnerable. “Too many farm businesses across the country are targeted relentlessly by criminals who see our countryside as easy pickings,” she said.

She added that families are being left “terrified, isolated and vulnerable at the hands of these dangerous criminals”.

“The roundtable was in agreement – this has to stop,” she said, calling on the government to reform the funding formula to better reflect the demands of rural policing.

Munt warned that rural forces are “underfunded and overstretched”, adding that fairer distribution of resources is needed to enable police to tackle crime effectively.

Stuart Hand, policy and campaigns manager at the National Rural Crime Network, echoed those concerns, saying rural communities “deserve a fair share of police funding”.

He warned the current system “fails the countryside” and said reforms are needed to ensure policing reflects real levels of demand.

Industry representatives pointed to improved coordination between forces as a factor behind recent reductions, but said sustained investment is essential to deliver long-term progress.

There are growing calls for urgent reform to ensure rural forces have the resources needed to tackle crime and protect farming businesses.

The NFU said it will continue to press government for changes to the funding formula as concerns over farm crime persist.