SOME police officers in TV's Heartbeat were, shall we say, a little bit slow.

But what they lacked in sophistication they made up for in local knowledge.

Not any more. According to research, trust in rural police has broken down so much country people no longer bother reporting crime.

That may be because funding cuts mean rural crime isn't getting the attention it deserves, admits North Yorkshire police commissioner Julia Mulligan.

A new rural policing campaign has been launched. But it must be backed up with proper resources if rural areas aren't to be policing's poor relations.