APATHY will be the downfall in the fight against rural crime, the county’s National Farmers Union chairman has said.

John Taylor was speaking as the NFU and Lancashire Constabulary’s livestock theft prevention initiative was praised as an exemplar of collaborative working.

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Chief Constable Simon Prince of Dyfed-Powys Police, who is the national policing lead for rural and wildlife crime, encouraged the other 42 police forces in the country to adopt the scheme.

He said: “Partnership working is the key in preventing and detecting rural crimes. All of the partners in the NFU and Lancashire Constabulary livestock theft prevention initiative have brought their own areas of expertise together.

“I want other police forces to work together with relevant partners to develop similar schemes.”

The NFU has pledged to support groups of farmers who want to work with their respective police constabulary to adapt or adopt the initiative which is the brainchild of NFU Lancashire County Chairman Mr Taylor, who works closely with Lorraine Ellwood, Lancashire Police’s rural policing and wildlife crime coordinator.

The scheme was launched when almost 60 sheep were stolen from a Lancashire farm in February 2014. The farming community identified a possible suspect but it became clear the police were out of their depth.

Mr Taylor, who farms at Lots House in Lancaster, ended up housing the stolen sheep while investigations were carried out. It was then that he decided things had to change.

He gathered together members of the NFU, Trading Standards, the NFU Mutual and representatives from the livestock auction marts and met with local police officers to see what could be done to tackle the problem.

John Taylor said: “Apathy will be our downfall. Farmers must keep reporting crime no matter how small.”

Mrs Ellwood said: “Crime has no geographical boundaries. All forces need to work together in taking positive action otherwise rural crime will simply be displaced .”