Thames Valley Police is ramping up its effort to crack down on rural crime.

The force has produced its first ever rural crime strategy, setting out its plan for reducing offending, fostering better co-operation, and ensuring criminals face justice.

Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt, the strategic lead for rural crime, said: “The Thames Valley is blessed with natural beauty, historic landscapes and vibrant rural communities; it is a vital part of the economy and we are committed to protecting these assets for the benefit of us all.

“We will be focused on working with our partners and communities to create a hostile environment for those who commit rural crime.

“For those who do commit rural crime, we will do all we can bring them to justice.

“Our local neighbourhood policing teams and Rural Crime Taskforce will focus on the most prevalent threats and emerging issues that have the greatest impact on our rural communities.”

The police, through local neighbourhood teams and Rural Crime Taskforce, will concentrate on prevalent threats and emerging issues that severely impact rural societies.

A key aspect of the strategy is to better identify rural crime, which falls under domains such as agriculture, the environment, heritage and wildlife.

Other focus areas include heightening responsiveness to affected communities and bolstering faith in the force by promoting transparency and accountability.

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “The taskforce is working hard to bring offenders to justice as well as promoting prevention, and their close collaboration with rural communities and organisations such as the National Farmers Union is making a real difference to the safety and security of farms, rural industries and our most isolated communities.”

The Rural Crime Taskforce, launched two years ago, has so far effectively seized more than £4 million-worth of property.

To further tackle crime and enhance understanding of it, several tactics will be adopted.

These include monitoring crime trends, training staff, working with local police areas and intelligence teams, and upping the number of wildlife crime-trained officers.

Additionally, community engagement will be facilitated via platforms like Whatsapp groups, social media, and rural crime calendars.

Ben Gibbons, from NFU South East, remarked: "It’s great to see Thames Valley Police recognising the impact rural crime has on our farmers by producing a vital strategy.

"For our farmers it’s not only the cost of rural crime but the isolation and vulnerability of being targeted."

Tim Bamford, Regional Director of CLA South East, said: "We welcome this strategy and the commitment of Thames Valley Police to tackling rural crime, which blights farmers, businesses and communities across the region.

"We encourage all victims of crime to report incidents, to help police build up the most complete picture possible and allocate resources accordingly."