The annual Rural Crime Survey compiled by leading countryside insurer, the NFU Mutual – showed livestock theft rose by a quarter last year, with Eastern Britain and Ireland being hit particularly hard with this type of crime.'After a welcome fall, we're starting to see the cost of crime in the countryside creep up towards its 2011 peak,' said Matthew Scott, chief claims manager at NFU Mutual.

They added that a substantial rise in sheep rustling, high-value tractors stolen for export, and opportunistic thefts of garden tools pushed the cost of rural crime to the near record level of £44.5m last year. This represents a 5.2 per cent increase on 2012's figures.This steep increase is mostly from organised crime gangs targeting tractors and high cost machinery, not only are these valuable, but it can upset the essential running of the farm schedule.

Ultimate Security Group urge people living in rural areas to be vigilant, as everyday thefts are mostly through opportunistic crime.By working together with local Police force initiatives, keeping informed about local events and using good preventive measures; rural crime statistics can fall as quick as they've risen.