Our Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Marisa Heath shares with us what she is doing to tackle rural crime in Dorking & Horley.
I went to visit Manor Farm in Wotton which is run by Paula and Laurence Matthews. The visit was organised by the CLA which are an organisation doing a lot of work close to my heart as I have had a lot of experience in my day job working in issues relating to the rural economy and farming.
We were also joined by Ellie Vesey-Thompson, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner who leds on rural crime. Part of the reason for the visits was to look at the remains of a barn which had been torched which took with it a huge supply of livestock feed for the winter. We also discussed wider rural crime. I have worked with the National Wildlife Crime Unit on illegal poaching and I also led an inquiry into livestock worrying and the measures needs to tackle that which has resulted in a Government Bill.
My view is that we should not underestimate the impact of rural crime. It is something which needs to be taken very seriously for two main reasons. First, the rural economy is crucial to many small businesses as well as farmers and harming it through crime can have a big ripple effect. Second, rural crime has an impact on the entire community making many people feel unsafe but also often harming our countryside and wildlife which we must protect. I have worked to bring this issue to the attention of national government and police and I am keen to work with our Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner to make Surrey a no tolerance county for rural crime.
