A NEW crackdown on rural crime in Hampshire has been launched today, with officers targeting thefts from motor vehicles at beauty spot car parks.

Officers visited rural areas around Basingstoke as part of the launch of Operation Falcon.

The new campaign will see Hampshire Constabulary carry out on operation each month to tackle an issue raised by those in rural communities.

Chief Inspector Simon Tribe said, the force strategic lead on rural policing, said: “By using information provided by members of the public we can assess what the seasonal crime trends are and it enables us to be really targeted and focus our activity on the right people, in the right places and at the right time.

“We know that at this time of year we start to see a rise in thefts from cars in beauty spots, so we have a range of activities planned to target those responsible, as well as providing crime prevention messages and visible patrols in vulnerable locations.”

Last year, there were 180 reports of thefts from motor vehicles parked at beauty spots across Hampshire, down slightly from 184 in 2013.

Simon Hayes, police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said: “Operation Falcon has been initiated following my challenge to the Chief Constable to improve policing for rural communities and deliver against the rural policing strategy, by adopting a more targeted approach to dealing with rural issues and crime.”