Dyfed-Powys Police must 'up its game' on rural crime

Livestock theft is one of the issues the new rural crime unit will tackle

A police force covering large parts of Wales' countryside has been told it must "up its game" on rural crime, a senior officer has said.

Dyfed-Powys Police has launched its first unit aimed at specifically tackling the problem.

Two officers have spent a week with counterparts in north Wales, which has a well-established rural crime team.

Ch Insp Richard Hopkin said feedback from farmers identified a possible "lack of confidence" in police.

Sheep worrying and livestock theft are among the priorities for the new rural unit, consisting of PC Esther Davies and PCSO Caryl Griffiths.

Dyed-Powys Police covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys - home to a large portion of Wales' rural towns and villages.

The force has been in contrast with neighbouring North Wales Police, which has had a rural crime team in place since September 2013.

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Ch Insp Richard Hopkin said Dyfed-Powys Police needed to do more on rural crime

The pair will cover Ceredigion and the force hopes to bolster the unit to cover a wider area in the future.

Ch Insp Hopkin said: "The force had feedback from farming communities that 'there's a lack of communication and possibly a lack of confidence, therefore, in police, that we need to up our game in rural crime' and this is why we've taken a step."

Both PCSO Griffiths and PC Davies have farming backgrounds and they will aim to work with North Wales Police on shared problems including criminals who travel between the two areas.

PCSO Griffiths said: "I want to restore confidence in the rural communities so people can feel safe and be safe."

PC Esther Davies called her new role "an exciting opportunity"