The charity Crimestoppers has launched an appeal for anonymous information to help stop rural crime in Kent.

The campaign calls on everyone to play their part, as more people are visiting the countryside and enjoying staycations because of the pandemic.

It comes after a report revealed Kent is one of the worst-hit counties for rural crime – such as thefts, trespassing and fly-tipping.

Crimestoppers says rural residents often feel unsafe in their own homes and farm owners have to foot the bill for criminal damage.

One farmer from Gravesend described it as a "sorry state of affairs" as he claims that every single farmer in his area has been impacted in the past six months.

Jos Brynmor-Jones and his family own land in Harvel. He said: "I don’t know of a single farmer or anyone that works around us who hasn’t had something stolen in the last six months."

Crimestoppers wants visitors to the Kent countryside to help by being the eyes and ears of more isolated communities and report anonymously what they see.

In the year to April 2021, Crimestoppers nationally received nearly 2,700 anonymous reports about rural crime.

Whilst this is a 14% increase on the year before, it suggests a degree of under-reporting which is why the charity is launching an awareness-raising campaign to encourage more people to speak up.

Last year the charity passed on more than 4,000 anonymous pieces of information about crimes in Kent.

They ranged from a man who was illegally hunting deer and game, to asbestos being buried in a field and farm machinery being stolen.

NFU Mutual estimates rural theft cost the UK £43.3m in 2020, with Kent ranking as the sixth worst affected county.

Philip Breckon, eastern regional manager for Crimestoppers, said: “Our charity knows how damaging crime in the countryside can be: to local communities, to rural businesses, to farmers, wildlife and the environment.

“Every day we hear from people who are in the know about those involved in damaging our beautiful countryside across Kent, but there is so much more we can do.

"By telling us anonymously what you know, whether you live or are visiting rural areas, your information can help make all the difference.

“A team of professionals working at our charity’s UK contact centre anonymise all information received – to ensure the person giving the details is never identified – before passing it on to police to investigate.

"Your voice really can make a difference. Working together, we can help protect our precious countryside and rural environment, communities and business from the harm caused by these criminal gangs.”

John Hayward-Cripps, chief executive of Neighbourhood Watch Network, said: “With headlines often focused on crime in the cities, it is easy to forget rural crime, but rural crime is increasing and is a serious issue.

"From hare coursing to machinery theft, the impact of rural crime on victims’ lives and livelihood can be enormous, with victims often left with long-term anxiety. Together we can stop it.”

Crimestoppers' campaign is supported by NFU Mutual, RSPCA, Countryside Alliance, NFU, Openreach, FireStoppers, Link, National Wildlife Crime Unit, Environment Agency, CLA and the Angling Trust.

To report rural crime 100% anonymously, visit the charity’s website Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in an online form or call freephone 0800 555 111, 365 days of the year.

Computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted Crimestoppers. For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and the charity has never traced a call.

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