Farm Security

Did you know that two people die or are seriously injured each year in the UK when their machinery makes contact with overhead power lines?

Two men appeared for sentencing after a string of high value thefts from farms across west Somerset in the first half of 2020.

A new report from Defra shows a distinct rise in the number, and cost, of fly-tipping incidents on public land in the past year. The figures also show a decline in perpetrators being punished, with rural groups responding that the figures only show a small fraction of the actual crime.

Farmers are being urged to review security as the long dark evenings draw in, as criminals will use the cover of darkness to target rural areas.

Farmers are being urged to be vigilant and strengthen security in case recent fuel shortages draw thieves to the countryside.

This week has seen police issue statements on the theft of over 200 sheep in several raids. The crime is becoming more organised and targeted than ever, with farmers facing

Fly-tipping causes huge damage and stress for farmers, but currently has few disincentives for anyone caught. As cases continue to rise, calls for harsher penalties have now come from a major collective of local authorities and professional bodies

While the overall cost of rural theft fell by 20 per cent in 2020 as Covid-19 kept thieves out of the countryside, other rural crimes rose sharply, and NFU Mutual is warning that organised criminals are returning with new tactics.

With the world’s largest meat processor JBS recently sustaining a devastating cyber-attack which cost the business close to £8m, the current threat of cybercrime to the agri-farming industry has never been more topical.

Despite being banned in 2004 as part of the Hunting Act, hare coursing remains a costly and distressing problem for farmers across the UK

The theft of equipment from construction sites and farms has a significant impact on the businesses targeted from both the loss and replacement of the equipment taken, in addition to the cost of temporarily reduced activity and downtime within these sectors.

Dog thefts have been a rising problem in the UK for some time, but a lockdown pet boom has exacerbated the problem to incredible levels. It’s estimated that dog thefts have risen by 170% since the start of the pandemic.