BEING a member of the Farmwatch scheme can make a huge difference to farmers trying to defend themselves against rural crime, was the message broadcast during a conference at Hexham Mart.

Organised jointly by the NFU, NFU Mutual and Northumbria Police, the event focused on measures farmers can take to deter would-be criminals and how the farming community can work with the police in an effective manner.

The NFU’s Report It Right campaign is still running and the need to report all crime, no matter how insignificant, is something Northumbria Police were keen to stress. Farmers were reminded how valuable any local intelligence is in the fight against crime.

With Farmwatch going from strength to strength, there was also another opportunity to sign up to the scheme and to collect the free Farmwatch signs that are now available.

NFU county advisor Samantha Charlton said: “A successful Farmwatch scheme can make a massive difference, making sure there is a flow of information between local residents and the police.

“It also sends a strong message to the criminal fraternity that their activities will not go unnoticed.

“It is testimony to farmers’ determination to work with the police to stamp out rural crime that so many are already signed up to receive text and email alerts, but we could not miss the opportunity at Hexham to promote the scheme still further.

“It was also good to showcase the new farm signs that are now readily available, either from the police or local NFU offices.”

With Basic Payment Scheme payments on their way, farmers were also advised to be on their guard against a number of scams that have been used by fraudsters to target farm businesses in particular.

Advice was provided on everything from cyber-crime to telephone scams, with farmers reminded that as more rural businesses use computers to conduct their daily business, they are increasingly being targeted.

Supt Andy Huddleston said: “We are working with our partners in not only highlighting the massive impact of rural crime in our communities, but also the massive impact it has on the livelihoods of both the farmers and residents.

“Northumbria Police is committed to eradicating rural crime and we value the support of the farming community to help us achieve this.”