Dorset Police Rural Crime Team

Dorset Police Rural Crime Team This page isn't monitored 24/7. Don't report crime here. Call 999 in an emergency. Please don't report crimes or incidents here.

The Dorset Police Rural Crime Team was established in 2016 as a result of one of the pledges made by the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill. The role of the team is to co-ordinate the police response in relation to rural and wildlife crime. Nearly half of Dorset's population live in rural areas and we are fortunate to have an abundance of diverse wildlife in the county which ca

n be the subject of poaching and other wildlife crime. The Rural Crime Team consists of an Inspector and Sergeant (also responsible for local policing in West Dorset), two dedicated police officers, a police community support officer and a rural crime analyst. The team also includes nominated officers who are points of contact for each of Dorset's five rural sections: Bridport, Dorchester and Sherborne, Purbeck, East Dorset and North Dorset and they work closely with the rural community and partners across Dorset to ensure they are engaged with and protected. We provide specialist advice and training to front line Police officers in relation to Rural and Wildlife crime. We aim to make Rural Dorset a safer and less attractive place for rural offenders by running regular proactive operations to target those responsible for committing such crimes and bringing them to justice and through the use of criminal behaviour orders and other restrictive legislation. Call 999 (emergency)

Call us on 101 or email us [email protected]

Report online at https://www.dorset.police.uk/do-it-online/

Dorset Police Rural Crime Team are also on Twitter https://twitter.com/RuralCrimeTeam

Please ensure any comments are respectful. Comments which are deemed inappropriate, offensive, abusive or insulting will be removed and action taken as required where offences are identified.

With the recent hot, dry weather, our mounted volunteers have been out riding the heathland, keeping an eye on condition...
29/05/2026

With the recent hot, dry weather, our mounted volunteers have been out riding the heathland, keeping an eye on conditions and helping to protect this beautiful landscape.

The risk of heath and grass fires is currently increased, and even something as small as a discarded cigarette, barbecue, or piece of litter can have devastating consequences for wildlife, livestock, and the local environment.

If you’re visiting the heath:
Do not light fires or barbecues.
Dispose of smoking materials safely.
Take all litter home with you.
Report any signs of fire immediately by calling 999.

Our RMV's give us excellent visibility across large areas of heathland, allowing us to spot issues quickly and engage with visitors. Thank you to everyone who is helping to keep our countryside safe.

Stay safe, enjoy the outdoors responsibly, and help us protect our heathlands for future generations.

🌾🚜 Get Involved This Summer with Your Rural Crime Team 🌞👮We’re excited to be out and about across our rural communities ...
27/05/2026

🌾🚜 Get Involved This Summer with Your Rural Crime Team 🌞👮

We’re excited to be out and about across our rural communities this summer, offering a range of engagement opportunities where you can meet your local Rural Crime Team, share concerns, and get advice on keeping your property, livestock, and equipment safe.

📍 What’s happening?
We’ll be continuing our regular monthly Community Contact Points across the county. These are held every Wednesday. We will also be hosting some pop-up Community Contact Points in villages and rural hotspots as well as engaging with our seldom heard community groups.

👋 Why come along?
✔ Speak directly with officers about rural crime issues
✔ Get practical tips on protecting your farm, land, and vehicles
✔ Learn about recent trends and how we’re tackling them
✔ Help shape our priorities by sharing your concerns

🤝 Stronger communities start with conversation, whether you’re a farmer, landowner, or resident, we’d love to see you.

📅 Keep an eye on this page for up-to-date dates, times and locations throughout the summer.

CHARGED | Three people have been charged and are due to appear in court following reported goat thefts in West Dorset. O...
22/05/2026

CHARGED | Three people have been charged and are due to appear in court following reported goat thefts in West Dorset.

On Thursday 11 January 2024, two pygmy goats were taken from the yard of a rural property in Marshwood and on Thursday 22 January, two boer goats were taken from a farm in Chilcombe.

An investigation was launched and following enquiries and searches by officers, all four goats were located and returned to their owners.

Three people were arrested in connection with the incident and were subsequently charged – a 19-year-old man from Cheshire was charged with theft, handling stolen goods and perverting the course of justice, and a 28-year-old man from Wolverhampton and a 29-year-old man from Cheshire were charged with handling stolen goods.

All three have been issued with a postal requisition to appear at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 3 June 2026.

Engagement and patrols as part of continued throughout this week for the team. Chatting with owners of livestock, ensu...
15/05/2026

Engagement and patrols as part of continued throughout this week for the team.

Chatting with owners of livestock, ensuring that they are aware of the updates to legislation which offers them more protection, and answering any concerns and questions that they may have.

It’s always a pleasure catching up with our local farmers, appreciating the long hours and the hard work that they put in to looking after and caring for their animals.

It was also lovely to stop by Blandford Animal Farm and see the great work they do for the rescue animals in their care.

🐐 🐑 🐄

Mike and Chris from the team were at Chettle village store this afternoon holding a Community Contact Point. Keep your e...
15/05/2026

Mike and Chris from the team were at Chettle village store this afternoon holding a Community Contact Point. Keep your eyes peeled on our social media as we will be out across the county all through the summer. These are pop up events where you can come and speak to an officer from the Rural Crime Team. You can report a crime or an incident or discuss issues affecting your community. They are drop in style events with no need to book an appointment.

For some of the team, this afternoon consisted of patrols around different parts of West Dorset as part of 🐑 First sto...
08/05/2026

For some of the team, this afternoon consisted of patrols around different parts of West Dorset as part of 🐑

First stop was to attend an address in Wool, following reports of a livestock attack, where a lamb sustained injuries following an attack from a Labrador which was off the lead.

We then carried out proactive patrols within rural communities, as part of a national campaign with the aim of reducing livestock worrying incidents and attacks.

We spent the afternoon engaging with dog owners, educating them about the importance of keeping their dogs under control around livestock and highlighting the harm that dogs can cause to livestock when they are not under control.

The aim of this afternoon was to highlight responsible ownership when out in the countryside, amongst livestock.

It was so encouraging to speak with a number of dog owners, who were observed to be respecting the countryside and the livestock around them.

Whilst on patrol this afternoon officers from the team spotted this van being driven in the North Dorset area. The van w...
07/05/2026

Whilst on patrol this afternoon officers from the team spotted this van being driven in the North Dorset area. The van was stopped and checks carried out. The van was known to officers after it had reportedly been involved in a recent fly tipping incident in Winterborne Whitechurch.

After liaising with our partners in the Dorset Council Waste Enforcement Team, the vehicle was seized under Section 34b of the Environmental Protection Act.

Fly tipping is a blight on our countryside. pro-active and robust action will always be taken against those involved.

WARNING IMAGES OF A DISTRESSING NATURE Suspected Dog Attack on horses Officers from the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team a...
29/04/2026

WARNING IMAGES OF A DISTRESSING NATURE

Suspected Dog Attack on horses

Officers from the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team are appealing for information following a serious incident involving horses in fields adjacent to the Milton Abbas Lake on the evening of Monday 27 April 2026.

At approximately 8:30pm, witnesses describe hearing the noises consistent with dogs in a highly aggressive state. The owners of the horses found fencing had been broken and at least two horses had been injured.

One horse sustained bite injuries, while tragically a second horse 'Twig' suffered a broken leg and had to be put to sleep.

Officers have swabbed the injury site to recover potential dog DNA, which can be forensically analysed and, if a suspected animal is identified, compared at a later date to help establish whether it was involved.

PC 1614 Kate Schofield of the Rural Crime Team said:
“This is a devastating incident for the owner of 'Twig', who has lost a much loved horse in very distressing circumstances. This is the second livestock-related case I have dealt with in the past seven days, and it highlights the serious consequences dogs can have when not kept under proper control.”

We are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, has information, or knows the identity of the dog or owner involved, to please come forward.

If you are the owner of the dog involved, please do the right thing and make contact with us.

Please quote occurrence number 55260061365 when contacting Dorset Police via 101 or online.

Dog owners are reminded to keep dogs under control at all times around livestock, particularly in rural areas.

27/04/2026

APPEAL | We are appealing for anyone with information to come forward following the discovery of suspected stolen fuel after a vehicle stop in Blandford.

At around 3am on Monday 27 April 2026, officers stopped a silver Land Rover Discovery that was believed to be travelling at excess speed on Bournemouth Road.

During a search of the vehicle, 28 fuel containers were located, as well as bolt croppers, crow bars and a fuel siphoning kit.

A 41-year-old man from London was arrested on suspicion of theft, going equipped for theft and driving offences. He remains in police custody at this time.

Police Constable Megan Clark, of Dorset Police, said: “We are carrying out enquiries into this incident and would ask anyone who believes they had fuel stolen overnight in the nearby area to please come forward.

“If you saw any suspicious activity involving a silver Land Rover Discovery in the vicinity, please get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police online or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55260059714. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online using its website or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE -SOME PEOPLE MAY FIND DISTRESSINGDog Attack on Livestock – Church KnowlePolice received a report o...
24/04/2026

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE -SOME PEOPLE MAY FIND DISTRESSING

Dog Attack on Livestock – Church Knowle

Police received a report of a dog attacking rare breed Shetland sheep in Church Knowle on 19 April 2026.
The incident resulted in injuries to the sheep, with costs totalling approximately £1,000.
A female dog owner has since been interviewed and issued with a conditional caution. Conditions include payment of the veterinary fees and adherence to a Dog Behaviour Order.
We are reminding all dog owners to act responsibly around livestock. This is particularly important at this time of year, as many ewes are in lamb and are especially vulnerable.
Please:
• Keep dogs on leads when near livestock
• Stay vigilant in rural areas
• Respect farmers and their animals

Attacks like this can cause significant harm, distress, and financial loss.

#1614

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Dorset Police Headquaters
Winfrith
DT28DZ

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