Farmer wants tougher sanctions on thefts as he has almost 100 sheep stolen

A Cumbrian farmer is calling for tougher sanctions for theft against farmers after he had almost 100 sheep stolen.

Over the past 12 months rural crime in Cumbria has gone up by 12%. That equates to around £815,000 and in Scotland that figure is £1.4 million.

Matt Blair had 90 sheep stolen from his 500 acre farm near Shap, in what was described as a highly organised theft.

Mr Blair said: "The guys that are doing it I often wish that they would come and work for me. They have obviously got phenomenal dogs, they are set-up for the job, trailers and wagons, but they have also got outlets.

There were 90 sheep stolen from Matt's farm. Credit: PA

“It is more the emotional and the mental side because you are always thinking ‘dare we leave them there, who was in that car’ and it just makes you probably a bit paranoid."

He believes that sanctions should be tougher against those who steal from farmers and that if his sheep were breeding sheep then it would have cost him a lot more money.

He said: "Considering the amount of money you are talking about, ours was £10,000 worth of sheep. In the sheep industry it is a bit of money but if they were breeding sheep it would have been more like £80,000 - £100,000.

"That is a lot of money, if it was stolen from where else the punishment would be a lot harder than what it is for this."

Rural crime costs Cumbria £815,000. Credit: ITV

Andy Huddleston, from the National Rural Crime Unit believes these types of crimes are premeditated. He said: “This is not something that is opportunistic, not something that just happens in a particular area.

"We are looking at and tackling crime groups that are right across the whole of the country."

Mhairi Dawson, of NFU Scotland believes it just more than just a financial impact these types of crimes have on farmers.

She said: “It is not just the financial impact, it is the practicality and the impact that has on the day to day running of the farms. There is also animal welfare, harvesting crops and we also need to remember that these farms are not just pieces of land they are people’s homes. It is having a huge impact on their mental wellness."

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