Farmers met with the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, Nick Alston, to discuss ways of tackling rural crime in the county.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) delegation, led by county chairman James Hawkes, highlighted the impact crimes such as hare coursing, diesel thefts and fly tipping have on rural communities and stressed the need to work in partnership to tackle them.

NFU county adviser for Essex Adam Scott said: “This was a useful opportunity to meet and discuss our concerns as Mr Alston prepares to set the police force’s priorities for the next five years.

“We want to ensure there are adequate resources for rural crime prevention in Essex, including funding for effective farm watch schemes across the county.

“Many of our members are already involved with farm watch and these local schemes are proving their worth in the fight against rural crime.”

During the meeting, Mr Alston urged farmers to report all crimes so that police could build a more accurate picture about the extent of rural crime in Essex.

He also said he would set up a rural forum to allow issues to be discussed with the police on a regular basis.

The NFU group also included former county chairman Rosemary Padfield and NFU member Jeremy Finnis.