Rural communities in Wales targeted by cross border criminals
Date of alert:
Sunday, 11 June 2023
Crime Ref:
Force:
Wales - North Wales Police
The A55 expressway makes it easy for criminals to pop over the border from England to commit crimes in rural Wales according to Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) President Glyn Roberts.
“Stealing from farms and rural areas has become more of a problem during the past two to three years,” Mr Roberts told Nation.Cymru.
“One key factor for this, I think, is that it’s easy to travel in and out (of north Wales) along the A55, and another factor being that we are now going through uncertain times as regards the economy.”
Crime has become more sophisticated and the criminals themselves more organised said Mr Roberts.
“It especially true when we’re dealing with farm animals – which is food – being stolen, there is a much larger population over the border and criminals can then sell a butchered carcass as food.”
The Welsh Government has previously stated that rural theft alone was valued to cost £1.3m in 2021.
