POLICE have launched a new plan to tackle rural crime a deliver a fair deal for communities in Bedfordshire.

The plan was launched by the county's Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway and Deputy Chief Constable Mark Collins.

It builds on a report by the National Rural Crime Network which estimates that rural crime across the country costs more than £800 million a year.

More than 100 rural crimes – nearly half of which involved businesses – were recorded in Bedfordshire during the six months from September 2015 to March 2016.

The county's rural crime strategy includes the appointment of a rural crime liaison officer to work with Parish Councils and key community groups, including farmers.

Ms Holloway said a fairer deal was necessary because many rural communities had felt resources to deal with crime were being sucked into big towns like Luton and Bedford."

"For too long our countryside had lost out when it came to tackling crime," she said.

Rural residents had felt isolated and, occasionally, in genuine danger when having to face those arriving to commit break-ins, to poach or take part in other illegal activity.

"Police back-up can clearly take longer to arrive than if they lived in the town and closer to the Bedford and Luton 999 response hubs. This new country deal aims to help address this."

Vehicles will be monitored as they enter approach roads to farms and the county will also introduce a national scheme to record registration details of large agricultural vehicles and plant.

Rural crime will be further tackled by repeat police visits, mapping and daily online scrutiny of email crime intelligence from rural communities.

Teams of special constables will target problems such as fly-tipping, with volunteers encouraged to join schemes such as Streetwatch and Speedwatch.