Two men jailed for rural crime spree across South and East of England

Two men are starting more than two years in jail for targeting farms in Sussex, Norfolk, Devon, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

22 year old Bill Harber and 19 year old Joseph Brazil from Holwell Place in Essendon stole tools and vehicles from sites across the South and East of England.

Police say their crimes cost their victims financially and also affected food supplies.

Detective Constable George Lewin, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Specialist Investigations Team, said: “Harber and Brazil went on a prolific crime spree, targeting remote rural locations and stealing vehicles, tools and equipment worth thousands of pounds. Their offences had a serious effect on the lives and businesses of dozens of people, especially in rural communities, not to mention the resources required to run investigations across several police forces. Investigating rural crime is particularly difficult and I’d like to thank the victims and our partners, particularly Sussex Police, for the excellent support provided in bringing these offenders to justice”.

Sergeant Carlo Leone, formerly of Sussex Police’s Rural Crime Team, said:

“The impact of thefts and burglaries from farms and rural properties cannot be underestimated. These are hard-working people who are already facing significant financial struggles with soaring production costs. The theft of tools, machinery or equipment that is necessary for carrying out their work could be the difference between staying afloat or losing their business and home.

“There is also the hidden impact - ultimately it affects the price of food on our tables. Sussex Police recognises these issues and utilises both their dedicated Rural Crime Team and Neighbourhood Policing Teams to engage with the rural community, make real relationships, develop intelligence and offer reassurance patrols for people who often feel isolated and vulnerable. Our Rural Crime Team in particular is constantly patrolling the countryside proactively stopping suspicious people and vehicles, and developing excellent working partnerships with other forces, partner agencies and community groups to ensure that we as police know what is going on in the countryside.

“This knowledge is constantly utilised by ourselves and our partners - on this occasion Herts Constabulary – to great effect. All of this proactive action ultimately makes Sussex a very hostile place to operate, and those thinking of coming to rural Sussex to commit crime should be under no illusions that our ability to identify suspects and capture them no matter where they are in the country is alive and real.”

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