Plans to have more officers investigating rural crime in Somerset have not yet gone ahead — not due to a shortage, but because there are too many new police officers.

Avon & Somerset Police plans to grow its rural affairs team by two constables, a top police officer said at the Performance and Accountability Board meeting with Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford on May 9.

The two new constables would bring the squad up to having one sergeant, four constables, and a police and community support officer.

Crime the team investigates ranges from theft of agricultural equipment, from chainsaws to tractors; theft of livestock; poaching and hare coursing; rural cannabis growing; wildlife, hunting, and animal rights crimes; to modern slavery offences.

Deputy Chief Constable Nikki Watson said: "A lot of that happens in the Somerset area."

Recorded rural crimes went from just over 400 in 2021/22 to just over 500 in 2022/23 while the rate of positive outcomes dropped from 6% to 2.5%.

DCC Watson said: "The increase, I must stress, is as a result of more accurate classification rather than an increase in prevalence. But we still know that there is crime that is under reported and people are not coming forward, and I would encourage people to let us know if you think you have been a victim of crime."

But she does not expect the first new constable to join the rural crime team until early autumn, with senior officers not able to be spared sooner, despite more police joining the force.

She explained: "The rapid growth in our officer numbers over the last three years has created some stresses and strains.

"We have a large number of new people joining us which is a fantastic opportunity but all of those people will join our frontline teams and they will need to learn the craft of becoming a police officer. […] We have to retain some of our experienced officers in those teams so that they can tutor those officers and bring them up to the skills levels that we would all expect and need of our police officers

"That has meant keeping some of those experienced officers in patrol and neighbourhoods but have now got to the point where we can start releasing them to fulfil our commitment to grow the rural affairs unit."

Mr Shelford added: "I am also keen that the team should be fully supported with equipment and surveillance equipment whether it be organic, drones, and also night surveillance equipment to support them in their activities."