Arrest made after stolen cattle recovered in Ripley area
A man in his 30s from West Yorkshire has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, following the recovery of seven cattle stolen from the Ripley area of North Yorkshire.
The Charolais and Limousin cows, with a total value of about £15,500, were stolen on Sunday night (July 26).
According to North Yorkshire Police, the man remains in police custody while enquiries continue.
It said: "North Yorkshire Police takes rural crime extremely seriously.
"Rural crime can have a significant impact on farming communities, causing financial loss, disruption to businesses, and considerable emotional distress".
By undertaking "proactive patrols, intelligence-led operations" North Yorkshire Police said it worked in close partnership with farmers, landowners and neighbouring forces, and "continue to target those involved in offending across our countryside".
This year also marks the 10th anniversary of North Yorkshire Police's rural task force.
Transnational crime
Due to the fact that "rural crime is a transnational, economically motivated problem" the European Rural Crime Network (ERCN) was established earlier this year.
The network brings together rural crime prevention officers from national farming federations across all 27 EU member states and the UK.
One of the topics of discussion at the ERCN's inaugural workshop at Maynooth University in Dublin on June 17 was the international nature of rural crime.
UK head of the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Construction Agriculture Theft Team, Andy Huddleston said:
“We've got international organised crime groups targeting Ireland, targeting Northern Ireland, targeting the UK.
“And these are groups that are travelling great distances and investing significant amounts of money to come and steal from our farms.”
The importance of sharing resources, data and information was also a key topic at the ERCN workshop.
The ERCN said that the most effective response to rural crime was one built upon the "shared knowledge, trust, and cross-border relationships of farming communities working together".
