Farmers in Thames Valley 'must act as ears and eyes for police in countryside’

Two farming organisations have pledged to forge a closer partnership with the Thames Valley Police Rural Crime Taskforce to reduce crime in the countryside.

Representatives of the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) met with the new taskforce team, headed up by Inspector Stuart Hutchings, on Monday, October 17, to discuss how to make the Thames Valley a more hostile environment for rural criminals.

The Rural Crime Taskforce, which has been in operation since April, has already had considerable success in its stop and search approach and in recovering stolen goods.