Farmers in Northern Ireland are being asked for their views on rural crime.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union is asking its members to complete a short survey about how its members view the issue of rural crime and the official response they receive when reporting incidences.

UFU deputy president Victor Chestnutt said that while rural crime tends to be lumped together as a single problem it varies greatly in terms of cost and the psychological impact on farming families.

“At one level, it's about petty pilfering and opportunist theft,” he said.

“However, what really unsettles people in remote areas are planned thefts of machinery or livestock. Another unwelcome addition to this problem is when it involves violence or threats to families.”

“We want to establish how many families have been victims of rural crime, where in Northern Ireland these crimes occurred and whether there is a pattern as regards the value of the items stolen.

“We want to know more about people's experience of reporting these crimes to the PSNI and why some people choose not to report these crimes, and whether that reflects a belief that they are not taken seriously,” said the UFU deputy president.

The survey is available to farmers here.