LET’S be ‘aving ewe, will be the message to sheep-rustlers from police in the wake of a new initiative.

After undergoing training from the NFU (National Farmers’ Union) this week, the region’s police officers will be better equipped than ever to deal with livestock thefts.

Livestock thefts are a significant problem for rural communities and can cost the region more than £1.2m a year.

Training days in Darlington and Hexham were organised for officers across the North-East after startling figures showed an estimated 13,000 animals were stolen in the area in 2014 alone.

The sessions were organised by the NFU in an attempt to boost awareness and give police the knowledge and skills needed to effectively question thieves.

Officers working to tackle the issue benefited from a focus on the identification of sheep and movement regulations for the animals.

They learned about basic sheep handling, why sheep move at certain times of year, what to look for on them and how to use electronic readers to get information from ear tags.

West Tynedale Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Oates said it was important for rural and wildlife officers to have the knowledge and confidence to “act decisively when confronted with a trailer full of sheep.”

He added: “It’s essential our officers have the necessary skills to carry out sheep rustling investigations thoroughly.

“We know these types of crimes can hit our farmers hard, causing them real financial hardship.

“It makes good sense for us to learn from farmers themselves as they have a great deal of specialist knowledge that they can pass on, to help us help them.

“While these types of incidents remain uncommon across Northumberland we want to make sure we can do all we can when they are reported to us.”

NFU’s Northumberland and North Durham county adviser Samantha Davies said: “It is not surprising that the police often feel ill-equipped to tackle sheep rustling, given that regulations surrounding sheep identification and movement are quite complex.

“But what is really encouraging is that this is something they want to address and that’s why they are working with us and our farmer members to implement this training initiative.”