Thugs clad in black and wearing balaclavas are targeting villages in a crime spree that has swept rural England. Intent on making off with expensive farming equipment, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) of combine harvesters, the groups target farming properties in what the police say is increasingly brazen organised crime.

One such gang targeted an isolated Durham farmhouse, whilst their owners, a couple in their 80s, slept inside. It comes as the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) announced the launch of a three-year crackdown on criminal activity in the countryside, which is intended to target the 20 or more gangs said to be operating there.

Speaking at the time of the announcement, the Government said the new strategy would be a “vital step” in tackling rural crime.

Jere

See Full Page