His comments come after NFU Mutual released their 2023 Rural Crime Report, which shows how the cost of rural crime in Northern Ireland was £2.5m in 2022, a 51% increase from 2021.

The South Antrim MLA said: “Whilst most areas of the UK are seeing a rise in rural crime, Northern Ireland has seen one of the largest increases, second only to Wales.

“With that in mind, I welcome the UFU’s comments within the report affirming the need for stakeholders to work together in tackling rural crime within our communities successfully.

“After a recent meeting with the UFU, I raised the issue of rural crime with the PSNI and am awaiting a full update on a plan of action to tackle it. I will also be following up with police to ensure more presence is on the ground in our rural areas, and that partnerships with others, including PCSPs, will be used in efforts to combat this rising problem and the negative impact it has on both rural life and the rural economy.”