Good evening,

Yesterday afternoon/evening I spent a few hours on foot patrol around St Ives. This included targeted anti-social behaviour patrols on Porthmeor Beach, Porthgwidden Beach, Porthminster Beach and the Warren. I also spent some time walking through Fore St and the Wharf. 

I also conducted some mobile rural patrols, looking for any signs of rural theft, livestock theft/rustling or poaching.

This evening I have been assisting our Response team colleagues with 999 calls, but I'm hoping to be back out and visible in the area tomorrow if I can.

I would like to take this opportunity to raise awareness of some of the more common rural crimes we deal with, which are often under reported. I will provide some advice on what to look for should you see anything suspicious. There are many more rural crime types, but these are some of the more prevalent and growing crimes. This advice is aimed at people who may witness crimes taking place. If you would like some crime prevention advice in relation to these crime types, please reply to this message.

I will also give some advice in relation to common rural issues, which we tend to see more of in the summer months, and advice to stay safe around livestock on footpaths which some may find helpful.

Rural Crime -

GPS Theft - Agricultural GPS systems are very high value pieces of equipment, which can cost thousands to install or replace. They are fitted to agricultural machinery, such as tractors, to aid farmers in their work in the fields, with tasks such as sowing or spraying. Organised criminals will sometimes target machinery, removing the GPS system from the machine (often causing damage). Police recommend that GPS units are removed from machinery and stored in secure locations, and that tractors and machinery are locked in secure sheds overnight. Things to look out for include unfamiliar drones flying over farms (not to be confused with drones being used to film the machinery working, with permission), people or unknown vehicles trespassing or moving around machinery, often in the dark after work has stopped. People may notice this by seeing torches around a tractor parked in the field or farmyard, long after the farmer has gone to bed.

Livestock Theft/Rustling – Livestock theft, commonly called Rustling, costs millions of pounds each year. Animals which are stolen are often illegally slaughtered, which in practice means the animals may not be humanely slaughtered, and the safety of the meat could be compromised. Although sheep theft is the most common, Cattle, Pigs and any other livestock animals may be targeted. Although Rustling may bring to mind images of bandits on horses with lassos, today this crime is more sophisticated. Thieves will often work in groups and use livestock trailers or lorries to load and steal animals. This often occurs overnight in the hours of darkness, when they are less likely to be spotted or interrupted by the farmers. Things to look out for include unusual activity, such as the people working to load the animals are covering their faces with masks, or it’s occurring at 3am (which would be highly unusual), or the number plates on the vehicle have been removed or tampered with.

Although there are times when legitimate farmers may be working in the dark, it’s very unlikely to be the early hours of the morning to load animals. If you believe a crime is in progress, please call the Police on 999 and report it, if a registration/number plate is on the vehicle, record this too. It is better that the Police stop a genuine transport vehicle and establish there has not been a crime committed, than not stopping the vehicle and later finding out the animals were stolen.

Livestock Worrying – Over the summer, we often see an increase in reports of livestock worrying. This is a criminal offence, which occurs when a dog chases or attacks livestock. The stress caused to the animals just by being chased can be enough to cause injury, miscarriage or death. If anyone has a dog anywhere near livestock, it should be on a lead to prevent such an incident from happening. If you witness an incident of livestock worrying, it’s important to report it to the Police.

Rural Advice - 

Cattle – The main risk when walking around Cattle, are cows with calves. If you must walk through an area with cows and calves present, be careful not to walk between the cows and their calves. Cows can be very protective of their calves and may see you as a threat. It is far better to walk around them and give them plenty of space, so they do not feel their calves are at risk. It is also far better to avoid being near to cattle completely if you have a dog with you.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Dairy bulls are not allowed to be in fields with a public right of way/footpath. Beef bulls are allowed to be in fields with a public right of way, provided they are accompanied by cows. This is because Dairy bulls often have much higher levels of aggression than Beef bulls, but you should not consider any bull to be safe. This highlights why it is important to stay on footpaths, and not stray into other fields where the path does not travel through.

Cattle are curious animals by nature, and they may think a person coming into their field is going to let them into a new pasture with fresh grass or bring them corn or other food to eat. If a herd of cattle start slowly walking towards you, don’t panic and don’t run, just continue to walk calmly. If you run, they will almost certainly speed up and run after you, and they are faster than you are. This is different from them trying to hurt you, but does carry a risk due to their large size and the speed they can run at. If you are nervous that cattle are getting too close to you, slowly raise your arms and make some noise, “Heeeyyyyy” while slowly waving your arms and slowly stepping towards them is often enough to make them back off slightly. Do not run at the cattle or make sudden movements, as you could frighten them, they are much safer to be around when calm.

Something to bear in mind is that cattle do not realise their weight or strength, although most are not aggressive, they can still cause injury without intending to. During my time working with cattle I suffered some very minor injuries, while some others I knew suffered more severe injuries. None of these I witnessed were the result of aggression, but more often were because the animal panicked and tried to back out of an enclosed space quickly, or turned and tried to run, knocking someone over or trapping them between a gate and a wall. When dealing with large animals, being able to give them space will reduce the risk.

Footpaths/Bridleways – While out enjoying the countryside, it’s important to stay on designated footpaths or trails. Farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK, largely due to heavy machinery and large animals. If you wander into areas you are not expected or allowed to be, you could easily end up in front of a herd of cattle being moved between fields, or in the path of heavy machinery. As mentioned above, if you stray from fields with footpaths in them, you could also encounter a dairy bull or other dangerous animal. In West Cornwall we also have a lot of mineshafts, some of which are not capped, and may not even be known about. Also make sure to leave any gates as you find them.

There are many other types of rural crime and things to be aware of in the countryside, but I hope some people have found this useful.

Remember, if there is a crime in progress or someone is in immediate danger, always call 999. To report an incident that has already happened you can call 101, or go through the Devon and Cornwall Police website.

Many thanks,

PC Jack Combellack

Carbis Bay/Lelant NBM