WILTSHIRE’S police dogs are helping with a crack down on rural crime with a scheme that has been extended to the Marlborough area.

The police dog section has begun training on farms that have been hit by thieves as a deterrent to criminals.

Ringo Hine who farms at Shalbourne said he was pleased to be taking part in this scheme.

Mr Hine said: “My farm buildings are broken into at least two to three times a year. I’m sure this scheme will deter thieves as the police will be using my land both day and night for the training.”

In a scheme that began in the Warminster area, signs warning that police dogs are being trained are placed at entry points onto farms and officers ensure their police vehicles are parked prominently.

Bob Pocock, senior dog instructor at the police kennels in Devizes, said: “We are committed to reducing levels of rural crime and this scheme will not only act as a deterrent to thieves but will provide the police with large, open spaces on which to train our dogs, which we are very grateful for.

“We will be primarily using the land for training general purpose dogs in tracking and searching skills and in chasing and detaining people on the run.”

Mr Pocock, a civilian instructor, said the scheme was an excellent example of the police working together with the community.

In an attempt to reduce the thefts the police dog section began to conduct high visibility visits to the affected farms in the west of the county with the farmers allowing the officers to train police dogs on their land.

Late in 2008 farmers in the Longbridge Deverill area in West Wiltshire, in common with their colleagues in the rest of the county, were experiencing thefts of fuel and scrap metal from their land so the police dog team was sent in. A force spokeswoman said: “The scheme was deemed a huge success and saw levels of thefts fall in the area.

“Working with the Wiltshire police rural crime unit, it has now been extended to farms in other areas of the county including Aldbourne, Marlborough and along the county border near Hungerford, which have seen thefts of high value items such as quad bikes and farm machinery increase over recent months.”