I made tackling rural crime a priority when I was elected, and now Thames Valley has an outstanding Rural Crime Taskforce, which has conducted hundreds of investigations and provided invaluable crime prevention advice to rural residents. This concerted effort is clearly having an impact, leading to the downward trend in rural crime trend we are now witnessing thanks to our funding and our commitment to support farmers.

“I would like to thank all those who work in our blue light services for their selfless dedication in keeping communities safe, and helping those in need 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“If you feel inspired to make a difference in your communities, visit the Thames Valley Police Careers website to explore your entry route as a police officer and start your application today.”

Sadly we know that one of the most common crimes that we can all be vulnerable to is fraud. It can take many forms but impersonation of your bank, a government agency or even the police is a tactic that many criminals will use.

If you receive a suspicious call, independently contact your bank or the relevant agency using an official telephone number – do not use numbers given to you by the cold caller. But who has the time to dig out and verify a number for your bank?