South Scotland MSP Craig Hoy has welcomed proposals for a rural theft bill in Scotland, similar to legislation already in place across the rest of the UK, following a drop-in session at Holyrood.
Mr Hoy voiced his support for the proposed Equipment Theft Bill, brought forward by fellow MSP Rachael Hamilton, which would provide much-needed protection for farmers and rural businesses.
After the event, Craig Hoy MSP said: “There has been a worrying rise in rural crime due to the increasing presence of organised crime gangs operating in rural areas. I know from speaking to farmers across South Scotland that many are genuinely concerned about equipment theft.
“Equipment theft is extremely harmful to businesses and Scotland is lagging behind the rest of the UK, urgently needing a rural crime bill to support victims and deter criminals.”
During the event, Craig spoke to representatives from NFU Mutual, JCB, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the National Rural Crime Unit.
Mr Hoy is urging rural businesses to contact the police to get a “stop me” sticker for equipment. The sticker is a new initiative where police stop vehicles with the sticker outside normal working hours to try and deter criminals.