Forest residents tackle 'rural crime wave'

Colin Bunday is leading Minstead's efforts to prevent burglaries

Criminals are "operating with impunity" in a New Forest village, residents have claimed.

Almost 100 households in Minstead have started using social media to share sightings of suspicious activity to tackle a "rural crime wave".

Organiser of the so-called Operation Sherlock initiative, Colin Bunday said the police were hampered by being "under resourced".

Hampshire Constabulary said it was "working on ways we are visible and accessible".

Mr Bunday described how his property was targeted by masked men with crowbars in the early hours.

He said: "They drove on in a truck, jimmied the garage door with a crowbar and went on a shopping spree in my garage.

"They were gone within seven minutes, and went on to the next farm where they proceeded to do exactly the same thing - within 17 minutes they had accrued £15,000 worth of equipment.

"They are masked, gloved and walk around like they own the place - they aren't scared. They've done their reccies - they are organised.

"It's a business for them. They are operating with impunity as they know the resources won't be deployed to catch them."

Thieves targeted Jane Johnson's property in Minstead

Jane Johnson said thieves in a stolen car rammed an electric shutter door three times on her property before robbing a garage.

"As we ran out they smiled and tooted their horns and waved as they disappeared," she said.

"They knew they weren't going to get caught."

She said residents were "fed up" with break ins in the village, which were becoming a "nightly event".

Residents have used Arthur Conan-Doyle's fictional detective as inspiration for their anti-crime initiative

The grave of Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle in Minstead's church graveyard inspired the residents to name their initiative after the fictional detective.

Mr Bunday said Operation Sherlock would see villagers "act as one" using social media and messaging apps to warn each other of suspicious activity and share intelligence with the police.

He said he had "total sympathy" with the police.

"999 calls have been made and the police simply haven't turned up - they are overstretched," he said.

"They are undermanned, under-resourced and the people holding the purse strings need to be realistic about the problem of rural crime.

"The nights are rolling in - and we are expecting this crime wave to continue."

Ch Insp Nick Marsden said changes to policing structures will help combat rural crime

New Forest District Commander Chief Inspector Nick Marsden promised "exceptional local policing" with Neighbourhood Enforcement Teams being introduced as part of a "revised policing structure".

It includes a CID unit beginning to operate out of nearby Lyndhurst.

He said: "Our aim is to continue to reduce the number of burglaries taking place, charge more suspects, and ensure that victims receive a consistently high level of service in our response."