Countryside Safety

Fifty per cent of these fires are started deliberately, either as an act of mindless vandalism or a fraudulent insurance claim.

A serious fire on a farm can affect the financial stability of even the most well run business. Forty per cent of businesses that suffer arson attacks never trade successfully again.

Farms are particularly vulnerable to arson, their isolated location, open boundaries, readily ignitable hay and straw make them an easy target. Whilst arson attacks on farms and small holdings may be difficult to eliminate, a number of simple precautions can substantially reduce the risk of attack.

A lighted cigarette butt thrown from a passing vehicle can mean the loss of whole fields of standing crops whilst glass bottles left lying around can in grass or woodlands cause fires of huge proportions.