AN initiative launched by the National Farmers’ Union and police is aiming to crack down on livestock and farm machinery thefts.

The NFU said that many small scale crimes from farms often went unreported by farmers, but police want this to change so that they are able to build up a comprehensive picture of rural crime in the county.

This, they hope, will uncover the true scale of the problem, which in turn may attract more police resources.

They also want farmers to be their eyes and ears in the fields, exchanging information with each other on social media sites.

John Taylor, the NFU’s Lancashire County Chairman said: “If the officer suspects something fishy regarding the livestock being moved, via the database they can request for a farmer to accompany them under the jurisdiction of the police.”