FARMERS are fighting back against rural crime in Ongar by embracing technology.
Agricultural workers and business owners have signed up in their droves to a free electronic system which allows them to bring suspicious activity to the attention of the police – and one another.
The system, known as FarmWatch, allows members to exchange texts and emails with one another in a bid to discourage criminals from preying on rural communities.
At present, 150 people from Ongar and the surrounding villages have signed up.
Monthly meetings with the police are also held.
"FarmWatch has a high success rate," said Rosemary Padfield, 60, the chairman of the Epping Farmers' Neighbourhood Action Panel.
"We are seeing farmers and people in rural areas being much more vigilant.
"By concerting our efforts we have had great success in catching criminals and the network has grown substantially."
She added: "FarmWatch isn't just about farm crime, it's about rural crime too, so local businesses who may have suffered are getting involved.
"We are all working together."
A scenario in which FarmWatch would be used might start with a farmer noticing strangers on his land.
He would then take a note of their appearance, the registration plate of their car if they have one and any other information.
In an ideal situation, he or she would take a photograph too.
This information would then be fed into the FarmWatch system.
This then allows the police to investigate while keeping farmers and other business owners fully informed.
Tony Ellis, Essex Police's crime reducation officer for Brentwood and Epping Forest, is the liaison officer for FarmWatch.
Mr Ellis said: "Sometimes the emails may report random sightings of unusual activity but when put together with CCTV footage, it has been possible to track criminals as they work an area."
One of the farmers to have signed up is David Kerr, 47, of Wyldingtree Farm, Weald Bridge Road, near North Weald.
Mr Kerr said: "With the spread of CCTV coverage in urban areas, criminals see rural areas as softer targets.
"FarmWatch has been a great help – you feel like you are doing something about the criminal problem.
"Hopefully it has become a deterrent – if I take a picture of someone on my land and tell them I am sending it to the police they may think twice about committing a crime.
"You don't find out if they were criminals or not but if they get caught or just move on then it's a success."
He added: "It makes you feel safer and that something is being done.
"The monthly meetings with the police also keep you updated – it's a great community effort."
The theft of livestock, metal and red diesel are common examples of rural crime.
Yet in a further bid to tackle this, the Epping Farmers' Neighbourhood Action Panel has funded and produced so-called witness prompt cards, which note the information the police will need when a rural crime is reported.
Pocket-sized rural crimes companions, which provide information about rural crimes such as illegal shooting, hare coursing and poaching, have also been produced.
Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles said: "This is an excellent example of folks working together to protect their land, buildings and equipment.
"I understand arrests have been made as a direct result of information received through the 'email family', and the number of criminals operating in the area has fallen.
"I am truly impressed by the scheme's success."
The Communities Secretary added: "Rural crime has always been a source of great distress and frustration to farmers in Brentwood and Ongar.
"The measures taken by our local farmers and police, to make the reporting of unusual activity in our fields and countryside simple to report, has obviously been very effective, and I congratulate the Ongar farmers and Essex Police for working so well together."
For more information about joining FarmWatch, visit www. essexfarmwatch.org.uk
