A NEW taskforce aims to make the Thames Valley a ‘hostile place’ for those who commit rural crimes.

Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire now has a special team that aims to tackle serious rural crime that affects farms, agriculture, wildlife and heritage sites.

The Thames Valley Rural Crime Taskforce will prevent harm to animals, theft of vital machinery and other offences that cause hardship for farmers.

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Rural Crime Taskforce Inspector, Stuart Hutchings, said: “The Taskforce will make the Thames Valley a hostile place for anyone looking to commit rural crime.

“We now have a team of dedicated officers committed to making our rural communities safer as well as staff waiting to take your call who are trained in the complexities of rural crime and its impacts. We will not tolerate rural crime.”

The taskforce has so far recovered more than £400,000 worth of trailers, caravans and other equipment in its short life.

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They have been proactively working with the Forensic Investigation Unit to address rises in thefts of GPS systems within tractor satellite navigation systems.

Operations have also taken place investigating money laundering as rural crime can often link into organised crime.

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire National Farmers’ Union chair Alex Nelms added: “The commitment by Thames Valley Police to introduce and resource a Rural Crime Taskforce really is welcome news to farmers and growers across our three counties.

“For a long time now, we have been calling for greater resources that would enable the force to be better placed to tackle specific types of rural crime, given the challenges of working over such a broad area.

“This taskforce will also undoubtedly boost the amount of intelligence gathered by Thames Valley Police that it will be able to share with neighbouring forces, where criminals are operating across borders.”