RURAL leaders are joining forces with the police to combat countryside crime in Devon and Cornwall.

Two events will bring toether business leaders, Devon & Cornwall Police and experts from private security firms to look at the ways of preventing crime in rural communities.

Rural crime costs millions of pounds of year in the region, impacting on police resources and on insurance premiums – which makes it a key policy area for both police and representative organisations.

Bob Bunney, crime reduction advisor with Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "We are very keen to help people understand how to take control of the situation, to learn exactly how much they can do themselves to help reduce rural crime and then to offer clear information about how to act and who to contact."

The events will take place at Westpoint, Exeter on 1 February and at the Pavilion at the Royal Cornwall show ground, Wadebridge, on 15 February.

Both events are free of charge and offer a one-stop-shop style advisory service as well as an exhibition and trade stands, all focused on crime prevention.

Seminars will operate on a "drop in" basis with sessions throughout the day examining different aspects of the law and the whole range of rural crime from farm and estate security to wildlife and equestrian crime.

One focus of the day will be to look at whether individuals and businesses are doing all they can to reduce opportunities for criminals.

There will be a keynote speech from Assistant Chief Constable Paul Netherton who will talk about the reality of rural policing and the options for the future

John Mortimer, south-west director for the Country Land and Business Association, said: "We welcome this opportunity of working with the NFU and Devon and Cornwall police to highlight the growing menace of rural crime – and to explore ways of combating it.

"What is frequently not understood is that the true cost of farm theft and other rural crime is more than simply the value of the items taken.

"There is the cost of lost production time, of repairing the damage caused plus the risk of livestock straying due to gates being left open or fencing taken down.:

For details, visit www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents.