A Highlands and Islands MSP has warned farmers and those living in the countryside to be vigilant after reports of a nationwide spike in the cost of rural crime.
NFU Mutual’s latest annual assessment has found that the theft of tractors, quad bikes and livestock cost £2.3m in 2019, with financial cost of rural crime in Scotland rising by 44 per cent.
Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, whose family farm in Orkney, said: “This is a worrying rise and will be of concern to farmers and crofters across my region, and all those who live in our countryside.
“Scotland has seen the highest percentage increase in the cost of rural crime across all of the UK nations and this is a worrying trend.
“While I’m sure local police will be making every effort to combat it, there are already under huge resource pressures themselves. My concern is that rural crime, particularly when happening in regions like mine, will be less of a priority for our now centralised police force and the Central Belt politicians who oversee it.
“If the SNP’s Justice Secretary spent less time desperately pushing his already discredited hate crimes bill and more time focused on targeting those who commit crimes in our remote and rural communities, perhaps we wouldn’t have seen the cost of rural crime almost double in Scotland last year”.
