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I have 21 years’ experience as a police officer with Sussex Police, the last six years of which I have worked on the Rural Crime Team in Sussex. I became a Police Wildlife Crime Officer twenty years ago and was later trained in heritage crime becoming the Heritage Crime Liaison Officer for Sussex Police. I am passionate about protecting rural communities, wildlife, the historic and natural environment and ensuring that those who commit crime are brought to justice.
I am a strong advocate for partnership working and have developed close relationships with local farmers, landowners, wildlife and heritage groups and other agencies.
I have worked nationally with other police forces and agencies to raise awareness of rural crime and create new ways to tackle it. I have attended the House of Lords to discuss livestock worrying and highlight the impact that it has on rural communities. I have consulted on legislative change for wildlife crime and I have worked closely with Historic England tackling heritage crime.
I am committed to making Sussex a safer place for everyone and am proud to be part of the Rural Crime Team. I am always looking for new ways to tackle rural crime and am always happy to hear from members of the public who have information which would help.
The Rural Crime Team will be working alongside local and national partners from 18 to 24 September, as part of National Rural Crime Action Week. This week serves to highlight the important work being carried out across the UK to tackle crimes as diverse as farm equipment thefts, metal thefts, wildlife crimes, heritage crimes and livestock worrying.
The impact of crimes against our farming communities are far reaching and it is important to recognise that it is not just the farmer and their livestock that are victims. For example, a sheep can provide 40-50 meals, so the loss of a single sheep will ultimately impact the availability and cost of food supplies. Multiply this by the effects of losing breeding ewes and their unborn lambs and the effect is much greater.
The team will be conducting events and operations during the week, highlighting these areas of crime. They will also be available for crime prevention advice at rural businesses across Sussex, such as agricultural equipment dealerships.
In addition to National Rural Crime Action Week, the team will also be attending the Ardingly South of England Show on 23-24 September. If you are visiting the show, please come along and say hello.
Livia Morvay of Station Road, Heathfield has been convicted and sentenced for livestock worrying and nine breaches of her Community Protection Notice. Morvay was investigated by the Rural Crime Team after 27 reported incidents of her dogs being out of control. These incidents included livestock worrying, knocking people over, and chasing other dogs.
Morvay was issued with a Community Protection Warning and a Community Protection Notice, but she continued to breach the conditions of these notices. She was also arrested and charged with livestock worrying on three occasions.
In court, Morvay was convicted of 9 breaches of the Community Protection Notice and was fined £600 for each breach, totalling £5400. She was also ordered to pay £300 compensation to the farmer of the final livestock attack and £190 on court costs.
The court also granted a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which prevents Morvay from keeping or controlling any dog for five years. If caught doing so, she could be arrested and face a prison sentence of up to five years.
This case is a reminder of the importance of responsible dog ownership. Morvay's actions caused significant harm to the agricultural community and to members of the public. She refused to take responsibility for her dogs and as a result, she has been severely punished by the courts.
We hope that this case will deter other dog owners from behaving in a similar way.
Four men appeared in court in August after being found poaching pheasant in Upwaltham, near Chichester.
They were found in possession of catapults and dead pheasants were found in the area.
They received the following penalties:
With a combined penalty of £2,508, we are pleased to show that those who are caught poaching in Sussex will be dealt with robustly.
Heritage crime has increased in our county over the past month. This includes lead thefts from churches, damage to church windows and property, damage to bronze age burial mounds, and a report of ground disturbance believed to be the result of illicit metal detecting.
This image shows the damage that is caused by lead theft:
We urge everyone to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police. If you see someone removing lead from a church roof, for example, please call 999 immediately.
It is also important to be aware of the laws protecting heritage assets. It is a criminal offence to cause damage to scheduled ancient monuments, such as Cissbury Ring, Chanctonbury Ring, and Pevensey Castle.
We all have a responsibility to protect our shared heritage. Please help us by being alert and reporting any suspicious activity.
Here are some additional tips for preventing heritage crime:
By working together, we can help to keep our heritage safe.
Additional resources for learning more about heritage crime:
Thank you for your help in protecting our rural community.
Follow the Rural Crime Team on Twitter @SussexRuralCops
You can report rural crime online.
You can also anonymously report rural crime online on the Crimestoppers website or by calling 0800 555 111. This lets you give information about crime relating to: