9 in every 10 farm shops in rural areas have suffered at the hands of criminals in the last 12 months, NFU survey reveals

Nine in every 10 retail stores in rural areas have suffered at the hands of criminals in the last 12 months, a survey from insurer NFU Mutual has revealed.

And of those who had fallen victim to crime, just 5% only had it happen once, with repeat offences worryingly common.

Almost a quarter of those who had suffered were hit on more than six occasions – more than once every other month.

It is an alarming frequency at which businesses are being targeted and is hitting rural retailers hard financially, with those surveyed saying crime cost an average of £83,490 over the last year, with one in 20 stating it set them back more than a staggering half a million pounds within the same timeframe.

Of the crimes suffered in the last 12 months, almost a third of those admitted an employee had stolen goods or cash from the shop, with a quarter having had members of staff physically assaulted. Just shy of half (46%) said staff had received verbal abuse, while one in 10 had even been attacked with weapons.

Retailers are now resorting to spending thousands of pounds in the security battle against criminals targeting rural areas.

Almost one in five rural retailers have spent more than £20,000 improving their security in the last 12 months, according to NFU Mutual’s survey, while more than a fifth said they now have full-time, physical security now on their doors.

The most common security measures put in place over the last 12 months include CCTV, warning signs and security tagging items.

Zoe Knight, Head of Commercial at NFU Mutual, said: “We know first-hand the pain and disruption criminals cause our rural communities and retailers with these callous acts.

“Farm shops are often family-run operations and embedded into the local communities.

"They have sadly been targeted in the past – and continue to be so – due to their remote locations, so it is vital that owners take all necessary and appropriative preventative steps to try and deter thieves.

“Our research shows these businesses are making huge efforts – both physically and financially – to feel protected from crime, and we will continue to work closely with our risk management specialists to try and reduce the threat of other shops becoming victims.

“Small steps like limiting the number of high-value items on display, securing stock in a secure area, minimising cash takings, and adding mirrors to the store to reduce blind spots can all help.

"Ensuring you have good quality locks, alarms, CCTV, shutters and bars on the doors can also help in the fight against break-ins.”