Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed Conservative Party plans to recruit a thousand extra dedicated police officers to tackle rural crime in communities like South Shropshire.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"I am determined to call time on rural crime which costs residents, farmers, and rural businesses millions of pounds each year in theft and criminal damage from stolen tractors and quad bikes to livestock worrying and fly-tipping in our towns and villages. In government, Labour have slashed the number of police officers by 1,800 while crime is up by nearly 10 per cent and 92 per cent of crime goes unsolved. If returned to government, the Conservatives would deliver a thousand dedicated police officers in rural communities like South Shropshire, launch rural crime task-forces to help farmers and rural businesses, and equip forces with stronger powers to follow leads from CCTV, doorbell cameras, and witness mobile phones. Forces would also be required to follow up geolocation signals coming from stolen property like phones, laptops, tablets, bikes, and cars and investigate stolen goods being advertised for sale online. This would solve at least 36,800 more crimes per year, a 10 per cent increase.”
Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed significant support for his campaign to call time on crime in rural communities like South Shropshire. Kemi Badenoch MP has revealed plans to recruit an extra 1,000 police officers if the Conservatives are returned to government after the next General Election. This would sit alongside the launch of rural crime task-forces across the country to protect farmers, rural businesses, and residents from rising crime levels including theft and criminal damage from stolen tractors and quad bikes to livestock worrying and fly-tipping. Stuart has endorsed the plan announced by Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch MP, which would see rural communities like South Shropshire secure a fair share of 10,000 extra police officers that the Conservative Party has committed to recruiting, backed by a landmark investment of £800 million.
The Office for National Statistics’ latest crime statistics show that crime has increased by 9.4 per cent since the General Election in July 2024. Meanwhile, there are over 1,800 fewer police officers. Stuart has consistently campaigned for better policing resources in rural areas as part of his campaign to enhance public services in South Shropshire. Stuart said this is increasingly important, as NFU Mutual's latest figures found that the rural crime cost £41.5 million last year. Rural crime in the Midlands costs £6.4 million.
NFU Mutual's Annual Rural Crime Report found significant increases in the number of agricultural theft, livestock theft, and dog attacks in 2025. The report estimates that the number of agricultural vehicle theft claims rose by 18% to reach £8.3 million last year. Meanwhile, the cost of quad bike and ATV theft soared by 31% to £3.5 million. In addition, the level of livestock theft increased by nearly 30% to £4.5 million. Farm animals worth an estimated £1.95 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2025, up 10% on 2024.
Following a concerted campaign led by the Conservatives, the government agreed in April 2026 to introduce tougher penalty points for fly-tipping. However, Stuart said that this is just one part of the Conservatives' plan to clamp down on rural crime. The Conservatives would also order a crackdown on 'secondary markets' where stolen goods are sold, including car boot sales offering high-grade tools and farm equipment. Sentencing guidelines would also be reformed so that theft of tools and high-value farming equipment is treated as an aggravating factor, with higher fines to fully compensate victims for replacement costs and lost earnings and proceeds going to the local police force like West Mercia.
According to the latest Home Office figures, only 8.5 per cent of recorded crime leads to charges or summons, leaving 92 per cent unsolved. The Conservatives would require forces to run a suspect's images through the facial recognition database if officers have an image of a suspect from a CCTV camera, doorbell camera, or witness's mobile phone. Forces would also be required to follow up geolocation signals coming from stolen property like phones, laptops, tablets, bikes, and cars and investigate stolen goods being advertised for sale online. This is estimated to solve at least 36,800 more crimes per year, a 10 per cent increase.
