Essex Police will be on farms, footpaths and country roads as part of a rural crime day of action tomorrow.

Neighbourhood policing teams will join forces with special constable and wildlife officers on Saturday to combat rural crime across Essex - 78per cent of which is rural land.

Crime in rural areas can range from theft of agricultural equipment, vehicles, livestock or fuel through to hare coursing, poaching and burglary.

The day of action aims to raise awareness and highlight the work being carried out to tackle rural crime, which is estimated to cost rural communities £37.9 million per year.

It includes:

  • Special Constables from the Rural Specials team carrying out security visits to farms and businesses in rural locations.
  • Local officers working with teams from across the force to carry out high-visibility patrols to provide reassurance in targeted areas.
  • Working with partners to give residents advice on public rights of way, wildlife crime such as poaching and crime prevention.
  • Using automatic number plate recognition technology to gather intelligence and target criminals who rely on the roads to commit rural crime.

Inspector Ian Gennery, of the local policing support unit, said: "Our officers are working hard to reduce rural crime and we’re asking for residents to help make life as difficult as possible for opportunist criminals by following our advice.

"Unfortunately there is a common perception that rural crime is all rather trivial.

"Rural crime is not just about a bit of old fashioned poaching and the odd garden shed getting broken in to. Neither is it solely about farm crime. Most of the crimes that occur in urban areas occur in rural communities too.

"As well as sending the message to criminals that rural crime will not be tolerated, the Essex Police Day of Action aims to draw attention to the measures that rural communities can take to help reduce their chances of becoming a victim of crime.”