Experiencing rural crime can be devastating. It leaves many of us feeling vulnerable and intimidated. Locally, it can pose significant emotional and financial burdens on farming families and ruins our countryside.
Rural crime cost the UK nearly £50 million in 2022, with the theft of machinery, dog attacks on livestock, and fly-tipping all continuing to increase. I am focusing on fly-tipping in this video after taking Surrey County Council officers to have a look at Salvation Place.
Fly-tipping needs to be high on the agenda, reflecting on ways in which police forces can combat rural crime. If we allow people to just dump huge amounts of rubbish into our countryside, we are sending out a message that there are no rules, and we are living in an uncivilised community. For a group of people to think they can ignore the law, disregard the legitimate places provided for waste disposal, and ignore the rights of landowners, whether private or local authority, is incredibly damaging.
In the fly-tip featured in this video, there are piles of hazardous and toxic materials that were set on fire. It makes me very angry, and I want to see a specialist nationwide task force of the toughest police officers who can deal robustly with those responsible for this illegal activity. We cannot continue to be lenient on these sorts of issues if we are to protect our countryside and ensure the same rules apply to all.
