The discussion focused on rural crime impacting farm businesses in the Greater Manchester area and the policing needs of NFU members. Equipment and livestock theft, sheep worrying and fly-tipping were some of the issues raised.
Aarun Naik, Lancashire County Adviser, said: “We thank Kate for coming to meet us on farm and hear the concerns of farmers. We discussed how we can create better relationships within Greater Manchester Police, sharing of intelligence, ideas for on-farm officer training and the use of Manchester’s APR cameras to collect evidence.
“The Deputy Mayor role also oversees Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. This meant we were able to discuss the problems of dry weather, arson and wildfire risk and explore how the fire service and farming community can collaborate to respond to these challenges.
“As a result of this meeting we are now having further meetings with both Greater Manchester Police and the Fire Service and I’m hopeful some good results will come from this engagement.”