Rural Crime Team Monthly Update

August 2022

Welcome to the Rural Crime Team update for August

This month saw the launch of the national strategy to tackle rural crime. The national priorities are broadly the same issues local farmers and land managers voiced to us at the Sussex Rural Partnership Network launch in April.

Those priorities are Livestock Offences, Poaching and Hare Coursing, Fly Tipping, Fuel Theft, Farm Machinery, Plant and Vehicle Theft, and Equine Crime. At the centre of the wheel is organised crime: the driving force behind so much criminality.

What does a national strategy mean? Rural Crime is something all forces are grappling with. A national strategy provides a set of priorities for ‘Policing UK’ to focus on. It ensures that resources are targeted to deliver the greatest impact. Sussex experiences all the issues on the national strategy and are likely to experience them in greater volumes as the economic down turn bites.

So what have we already been doing to tackle these issues? To take Fly Tipping as an example, since the Sussex Rural Partnership Network launch, the Rural Crime Team, driven by Sergeant Attfield, has been busy working closely with local authorities, our Commercial Vehicle Unit and Environment Agency on a number of joint operations to tackle illegal waste carriers. Many vehicles carrying waste illegally, or badly loaded or maintained vehicles, have been taken off the road thanks to these operations. Regarding plant and equipment theft, we have run operations to target cross border criminality from Kent and Hampshire, we’ve executed warrants and recovered stolen plant and in the coming weeks, we shall be running further operations. Livestock offences are dealt with robustly by the team and we’ve had some recent successes in court to tackle irresponsible dog owners, whose dogs have killed or injured livestock. With our partners in farming we have also drafted a letter to the government to address some of the issues policing faces in understanding the scale of livestock attacks. As soon as the new Prime Minister is selected, we shall be sending that letter off to ask for some changes.

As ever we are keen to drive up awareness of measures that farmers can take to better protect their businesses. Property marking companies, as featured on SecuredByDesign.com, can offer a cost effective, visible deterrent to criminals as well assisting us to prove the guilt of offenders when we catch them. The force will be running a number of initiatives in the coming weeks to increase the uptake of property marking in businesses. Please go to securedbydesign.com and check out the options available to you. Accredited Product Search (securedbydesign.com)

Inspector Fisher 

Wildfires

Although temperatures have dropped and we have finally started to see some rainfall, we encourage you to remain aware of the risk of wildfires. Areas such as the Ashdown Forest are still vulnerable due to the extended dry weather. If you see a fire in the countryside, call 999 and ideally provide a What3Words location to help emergency services with their response.

Some areas of our accessible countryside and forests already prohibit the use of disposable barbeques and open fires. After the recent hot weather it is a particularly bad idea to ignore this. The Rural Crime Team will challenge anyone choosing to ignore local byelaws and restrictions and will support the land management agencies with prosecutions.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service have some excellent advice on their website Wildfire Advice ¦ East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (esfrs.org)

Livestock worrying court result

On the 7 May 2022 police we were called to fields in Horsted Keynes, West Sussex, to a report of two dogs chasing sheep. It was established that a number of sheep has died as a result of injuries caused by the dogs, and the final count reached nineteen including those that need to be euthanised.

The landowner was placed in the terrible position of having to shoot the dogs to prevent further attacks as they had been unable to secure them by other means. The Rural Crime Team were able to locate the dog owner and in a formal interview he admitted the offence, as the dogs had run from him and his control.

Due to the serious emotional and financial impact involved, the matter was taken to court with a successful outcome. The court, taking into account the cost of sheep at the time of the offence and other expenses, awarded £3000 compensation to the owner.

Edenbridge and Oxted Show

Members of the Heathfield Rural Crime Team joined colleagues from Surrey and Kent rural teams at the Edenbridge and Oxted Show in August. The show provided another great opportunity to meet and talk with members of our rural communities, as well as discuss between teams current crime trends.

Metal theft

Metal theft across Sussex, as well as the rest of the UK, is a growing problem. The extent of the thefts range from ‘collections’ from residential gardens, to active crimes stealing high value cables or lead from roofs. The Rural Crime Team work with local partner agencies and national organisations tackling this problem. If you spot a suspicious van in your street, with occupants paying attention to properties as well as helping themselves to items, then please report it (999 in emergencies). The registration number of the vehicle helps us identify suspects and pursue them, so please make note, or take a photo if you can do so quickly and safely.

Livestock worrying in Henfield

On 12 July 2022 Sussex Police received a report of livestock worrying in Henfield where sadly one sheep died and two others were injured. This report was picked up by the West RCT and has now been fully investigated. The owner of the dog has been interviewed and summoned to court in relation to this matter. A further update will be given once this has been dealt with in court. As a team we work hard to educate dog owners about the requirement to keep dogs on leads when walking through farm land, close to fields with livestock or where there may be wildlife present. The offence of Livestock Worrying has been committed at the point a dog enters a field with livestock contained within. No actual harm or injury has to occur at the time for this offence to have been made out. If in doubt keep your dog on a lead.

Court Result

Earlier in the year, PC MacKinnon arrested a driver for drug possession at Newhaven Port during port operations. The driver was arrested for drug possession and found to have no MOT or insurance on his vehicle.

This matter has now been dealt with at court; the driver was found guilty and disqualified for 6 months, fined £660 plus ordered to pay victim surcharge of £88 and court costs of £90.

Joint Agency work between Natural England and Rural Crime Team

A large housing development in Horsham has been found in breach of the Wildlife and Countryside Act by failing to make appropriate buffer zones around Greater Crested Newt habitat, as identified within the ecology surveys. A meeting was held with all interested parties, including the Company Director and Lead Ecologist, with consultation given from Natural England’s Lead Complex Enforcement Officer. As a result, the development company at fault have now changed their whole handover process, bringing in new ways to communicate “WILDLIFE SAFE ZONES” on site during the construction phases. In addition to the current wildlife habitats on site, additional mitigation is being completed to ensure preservation and flourishment of suitable habitat for GCN still present in the area. The company have been given a formal warning by Natural England in addition to police intervention.

Damage to Bats Roost

A private development on a house was found in breach of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, in that the builders removed a tiled roof near to a known bats roost without licence. The landowner has complied with police investigation, resulting in it being resolved via a Community Resolution. The conditions set were for the owner to pay a fine in the form of a donation towards the Bats Conservation Trust and to take instructions from a local bat specialist to advise on mitigation to be installed in the woodland surrounding the house to help the bat population thrive.

Community protection warnings issued to Op Traverse suspects

After reports came in from a private fishery in Horsham, officers have located and dealt with two males found in the area with rods and nets although they had not started to fish yet. It is likely they were intending to fish without a day ticket or rod licence in the nearby private lakes but were stopped by police before being able to do so. Details of the males were passed to the Environment Agency for potential rod licence offences. Police issued Community Protection Warnings to both alongside providing them with educational advice on the theft of fishing rights, rod licence fines and the Theft Act. In this instance the males have since applied and obtained rod licences, and looked into membership on a local lake to become legal anglers.

Section 59 vehicle seizures

Four males were stopped on off road vehicles in Mile Oak, Portslade having been seen to ride off road on farm tracks. One male was on an untaxed, unregistered dirt bike and the others were on electric scooters. Witnesses had seen all four riding on public roads and on the private farmland, causing a nuisance and danger to pedestrians. Each male was found to have only a provisional licence, and so all vehicles were seized and traffic offence reports issued for document offences – including Section 59 (S59) warnings. If they are found to breach the conditions of the S59 warning in the next year, they are liable to have any vehicle they are currently using seized also.

All of them were educated about the current legal standing on electric scooters, the dangers they can present when used on roads and public space and the inability for them to be insured. Waivers were signed by each of them to disclaim each vehicle.

Security visit on Grade II listed building

After response officers attended a false alarm on a Grade II listed building in the countryside, officers from the Rural Crime Team completed a follow up visit to provide specialist security advice on the rare artwork and sculptures contained within, alongside the usual home security and prevention advice on the external parts. History markers have been added to the address to help local officers be aware of potential heritage at risk if attending in the future.

Engage with us

Follow the Rural Crime Team on Twitter @SussexRuralCops

You can report rural crime online.

You can also anonymously report rural crime online using The National Farmers' Union's Rural Crime Reporting Line or calling 0800 783 0137. This lets you give information about crime relating to:

• large scale industrial fly-tipping
• hare coursing
• machinery theft
• livestock theft.