SHEEP rustling is rife around the Holme Valley – and the credit crunch could be to blame.
Rustlers stole 23 sheep from a farm at Cartworth Moor, the second such theft in the Holme Valley in recent weeks.
The National Farmers’ Union says this kind of crime is on the rise.
It believes the thefts have been prompted by the pound’s low value, which has increased the market price for sheep, making what is normally a rare crime suddenly more worthwhile to thieves.
There are always people who seek to do well out of times of misfortune.
They may see themselves as ‘entrepreneurs’, not crooks.
But their actions are another blow to struggling farmers.
It is a sad commentary on society that people seek to profit at the expense of others, rather than trying to support one another through a difficult economic time.
