Extra police officers drafted into countryside to fight rural crime

Extra police officers have been drafted in to patrol the Leicestershire and Rutland countryside to thwart hare-coursers, burglars, dangerous drivers, fly-tippers, farm robbers and church lead thieves.

The county force’s rural policing team is expanding from three to eight officers to provide extra resources to target, disrupt and address offenders targeting farms, businesses and homes in the villages.

All eight officers have a background in farming and a determination to tackle those issues which affect rural and farming communities - including machinery theft, rural, wildlife and heritage crime.

They are supported by the force’s 18 wildlife officers, heritage watch volunteers and those neighbourhood officers on rural beats.