The charity CrimeStoppers has launched a new campaign encouraging people to speak up about those responsible for harming our precious Welsh countryside.

The initiative comes as the international tourist season starts. With many people planning trips to the countryside, the potential impact of large numbers of visitors can increase the risk of crime happening.

Whilst the volume of crime in rural areas is lower than in urban area, the consequences and impact within a rural community can be much deeper, both on victims, the environment and the community as a whole.

Crimestoppers is asking the public to spot the signs of rural crime and to give them information 100 per cent anonymously.

Crimestoppers is independent of the police and gives the public an alternative option to pass on what they know about crime whilst never giving any personal details. They never ask for your personal details, just what you know about crime.

From April to June this year, Crimestoppers in Wales saw a 10 per cent rise in crime information it received compared to the same period last year. This shows more people are putting trust in the charity and resulted in Crimestoppers passing on over 10,000 crime reports to the police and other law enforcement agencies over the past year.

The charity will be at the Royal Welsh Show (Monday, July 22 to Thursday, July 25), the largest agriculture show in Europe, to encourage communities to speak up about crime and to give tips on how to keep safe and rural crime signs to spot.

The key crimes that Welsh rural areas experience are:

Hayley Fry, National Wales Manager for Crimestoppers, said: “ Our charity is very aware of how damaging crime in the countryside can be to families, communities, rural businesses, farmers, wildlife and the local environment.  We hear from people every day who tell us about those involved in theft, fly-tipping, drug and wildlife crime.

“By telling Crimestoppers anonymously what you know whether you live in or are visiting a rural area, together we can make all the difference.”

To report rural crime 100% anonymously, visit the charity’s website Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in a secure online form anonymously or call their 24/7 UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111, 365 days of the year. In an emergency, always call 999.

You can use the free what3words app to report the exact location of an incident. The words can either be copied and pasted into the Crimestoppers rural crime form or a Crimestoppers Call Agent can be told over the phone when you call to give information anonymously.

Please note: Computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted Crimestoppers. For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and the charity has never traced a call.