Impact of organised crime on rural communities examined
The Home Affairs Committee continues its inquiry into the impact of serious and organised crime with a session focussing on rural communities.
Meeting details
Purpose of the session
Crimes specifically targeting rural communities include theft of machinery and livestock. The financial impact of rural crime peaked at £52.8 million in 2023. Specific types of vehicle theft continue to rise, with All-Terrain Vehicle theft increasing by 31% in 2025. Illegal waste dumping has also emerged as a serious issue in rural area. A survey by NFU mutual revealed that nearly a third of farmers had changed their farming practices or left the industry altogether in response to rural crime.
The Committee will question the Vice President of the National Farmers Union and leading academics about the scale of rural crime and the impact this has on communities. It will look at what forms organised crime takes in rural areas and the impact of the drugs trade. The Committee will also question police representatives on the approaches taken combat rural crime. This will include how the neighbourhood policing approach impacts on this form of crime and the challenges of policing large areas.