Gloucestershire farmers offered vehicle tracking system

Gloucestershire's Crime Commissioner said the impact of crime in rural areas is underestimated

A new Home Office-approved vehicle covert tracking service could help protect vulnerable landowners from rural crime in Gloucestershire.

Industry experts AX Innovation Limited demonstrated the system to landowners at Dumbleton near Tewkesbury on Tuesday.

AX Innovation claim it has near 100% stolen vehicle recovery rate.

Senior police staff say rural crime is making farmers and countryside communities fearful

The system, which uses GPS technology to alert owners if their property has been taken outside a designated area, is being offered to landowners at a reduced rate as part of the Home Office Safer Streets Fund.

Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Chris Nelson said: "The scale, cost, social impact and other effects of crime in rural areas are underestimated, under-reported and not fully understood.

'Vulnerable and anxious'

"As a result, farming communities are facing fear and intimidation from groups of criminals.

"The impact of crime is often greater on victims in the countryside due to their remote and isolated locations, making them feel more vulnerable and anxious."

Insp Sarah Blake, operational lead for Gloucestershire Constabulary's Rural, Wildlife and Heritage Crime said: "The loss of equipment may not be noticed immediately, and its detection can often be challenging.

"But this type of crime has a real impact on peoples' livelihoods, heightening the feelings of vulnerability and fear of crime in rural locations and is a priority for the Constabulary."

The AX project is being part-funded with money secured from the Home Office Safe Streets Fund by Mr Nelson's office.

Charles Day, Deputy Chair of the Gloucestershire National Farmers Union (NFU) says the new service will help farmers financially.

"The price of lots of our equipment has gone through the roof in recent years and everything is so expensive," he said.