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Rural communities could be left behind when it comes to fighting crime according to the Countryside Alliance. With crime in rural areas on the increase according to a leading farmers insurers, Charlotte Smith asks where this will leave farmers and those living in the countryside.

It's estimated that across the UK rural crime cost the farming industry almost 拢50million in 2010 - an annual rise of 17%. Last year 拢7.5 million worth of tractors were stolen. Already this year fuel thefts are reported to have doubled, around 拢5million worth of livestock has been rustled and in Lincolnshire alone there have been more than 1,000 reports of hare coursing.

In the week in which he holds the first policing conference of its kind, Charlotte Smith talks to Chief Inspector Richard Crompton, the Association of Chief Police Officer's spokesperson on rural crime, to find out what is being done to target criminals.

She also hears about the impact crime can have on farmers and those living in rural communities. She visits Jez Emmett a livestock farmer in the West Midlands who has spent thousands of pounds installing sensors across his fields and CCTV to keep the thieves out. The farmer near Solihull also shows Charlotte how anti-social behaviour close to his farm is damaging Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Jez and his wife Jo are also members of the local police Farmwatch community policing scheme which uses emails and text messages to alert farmers to suspected criminals in the area.

Presenter: Charlotte Smith; Producer: Angela Frain.