Rural insurer NFU Mutual has warned Britain’s countryside is in the grip of a rural crime wave, as latest figures reveal a sharp rise in the cost of rural thefts.

Initial estimates from the insurer show theft cost the UK’s rural homes, businesses and farms £44.5m in 2017, the highest level in four years. 

Analysis of NFU Mutual’s claim statistics, the insurer of almost three quarters of the UK’s farms and thousands of rural businesses and homes, reveals 2017 saw an increase of 13.4% - the highest year on year percentage rise since 2010. 

Every year, NFU Mutual publishes a detailed report on rural crime trends in August which provides detailed analysis including county statistics and information on changing patterns of theft. This year, widespread concern in rural communities has led NFU Mutual to issue an early warning to farmers and country dwellers to increase security.