Hampshire dealer Mike Garwood has claimed there is "mob rule" in parts of rural Hampshire after he was targeted by ram-raiders twice in the past 18 months. His business lost £25,000 last month when thieves reversed a stolen Land Rover into his agriculture store in Alton to steal chainsaws. This followed a similar theft from the premises in February 2014

He wants more support for police to tackle rural crime after the gang escaped despite an alarm going off. He told Service Dealer "The response from the police has been very poor, With up to 8 people involved in this raid, it seems they were hesitant as to whether to attend or not"

He managed to capture the gang of eight on CCTV but they fled in three vehicles before officers arrived. "The thieves smashed their way in and stole chainsaws and other equipment during the raid and then set fire to the Land Rover”

WATCH CCTV FOOTAGE OF RAM RAID FROM BBC SOUTH

Mike Garwood has taken his case to the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner "It's really upsetting when you see it. It's very difficult to get the police here in time. It's tantamount to mob rule”

Mr Garwood has taken his case to Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes, and Mr Hayes has lobbied MPs, warning that future government cuts could leave police dangerously stretched.

He said: "We set up a rural policing strategy in July 2014 to raise the profile of crime in rural areas, and also to raise the attention it gets from Hampshire Constabulary, and that is happening."

Hampshire Constabulary, which is yet to make an arrest over the ram-raids, said rural crime had fewer witnesses and offered greater opportunities for criminals to target isolated sites. A spokesman said: "We have been working to make significant improvements to our approach to rural policing and make the area a hostile place for criminals."

Insurers NFU Mutual reported an 8% rise in rural crime in the county in 2013, costing the local economy about £1m.