POLICE officers across rural Worcestershire, officers are visiting farms, businesses and stables to offer property marking, and offering crime prevention advice at local markets, fairs and Christmas.

An increase in theft of livestock, heating oil, food items and burglaries, not only from residential property but also farm shops and seasonal businesses, is often experienced in the run-up to Christmas.

Superintendent Sue Thomas said: "The weeks leading towards Christmas are a time when everyone should be particularly wary of the burglary risk posed by an abundance of high value food and drink and livestock associated with our local businesses, as well as rural domestic burglaries.

"We will be present at local events giving crime prevention advice and encouraging greater membership of our Rural Watch schemes and Horsewatch programmes and visiting our rural businesses and communities to make sure the risk of them becoming victims of crime is reduced.

"Christmas is a particularly harrowing time to be a victim of crime and so our focus will be on the ways in which West Mercia Police can help prevent burglary and theft, particularly with effective property marking and membership of our rural watch schemes."