The Bradford district can boast some of the most beautiful rural areas in the country.

But while pleasing on the eye, such places still have to contend with the problems of modern life more often associated with the urban environment.

Uppermost among these is crime, sadly a concern whether you live in town or country.

What makes combating rural crime so difficult, of course, is the sheer vastness of the area the police have to cover and the relative isolation of some properties.

Of course there are dedicated officers to look after these important communities, but any assistance they can get is always welcome, as is the case with their city counterparts.

The setting up of a Farm Watch security scheme by the Worth Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team is the kind of initiative that could make a real difference.

The idea is to set up support networks between farmers so they can alert each other – and the police – to any crime issues as well as tap in to the latest crime prevention advice available.

Of course such ideas are not new either in rural settings or urban environments – one thinks of Neighbourhood Watch, for example – but they can be very effective.

And the more people who sign up, the more that is the case.