Rural Crime

As the cost of rural crime continues to rise, the NFU is urging the government to take action and treat rural crime as a priority issue for rural communities.

Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has joined forces with police and agricultural machinery manufacturers to tackle a surge in thefts of expensive guidance systems.

The cost of rural crime is at its highest level for eight years, with organised criminal gangs targeting high value tractors, quad bikes and large numbers of livestock.

Countless well-wishers including Oxfordshire farmer Jeremy Clarkson have come to the aid of a little boy who was left heartbroken after his honesty shop was raided by thieves.

Increased use of tracking security devices on tractors and quad bikes has helped Police Scotland recover stolen farm machinery worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Farmers are being warned to up their security following a spate of tractor GPS thefts in the south west.

Well-known Welsh farmer and TV presenter Gareth Wyn Jones has said he was left “fuming” after walkers left a gate open on his farm, allowing sheep to escape.

Offering his top tips for farm security, James Doel of Active Farm Solutions, says one of the biggest challenges is that every farm is unique, so every security system must be unique too.

North Yorkshire-based security firm Cubtech was launched just over a year ago after business owner Lee Turner moved to the village of Slingsby and learned from local farmers about the high level of rural crime the industry faces.

As many farmers will be aware, trespass is considered a civilian, not a criminal offence, over which police have no current jurisdiction. With this in mind, Solar Gate Systems stresses the importance of securing gates, which can be an invitation to criminals.

In these troubled times, when the UK is seeing a rise in rural crime, many farmers will be looking to update their security systems.

As many farmers review their security arrangements in light of growing concerns about rural crime during the coronavirus outbreak, Alastair Gray of Turnpikes Ltd shares some top tips to keep properties safe.