Farmers are “fortifying” their farms in the face of an increased threat from “repeated and determined” criminals.
The startling comments follow the release of figures by rural insurer NFU Mutual today (6 August) which show that the cost of rural theft is at the highest level for four years.
Rural crime cost the countryside an estimated £44.5m in 2017, leading farmers to combine “medieval security with high-tech solutions” to protect their farms.
In its 2018 Rural Crime Report, NFU Mutual looks at the impact that crime is having on rural communities up and down the UK.
With an increase of 13.4% on the previous year, rural crime is rising at its fastest rate since 2010.
Across the UK, the cost of rural crime has risen most sharply in Wales, up 41% on the previous year, followed by the Midlands which is up 32%, while the South East has seen a rise of 30%.
The cost of rural theft in Scotland has fallen 3.8%, while the North East is the only English region showing a fall, down 6.5%.
‘Fortify’
The report reveals that farmers are putting up earth banks, dry ditches, stockade fences and high-security single access points to fortify their farms against criminals who use 4 x 4 vehicles to get onto farm land to commit crimes and evade police.
Protective animals such as geese, llamas, and dogs are being used to provide a useful low-tech alarm system, much as they did hundreds of years ago.
“Faced with repeated and determined attacks from a new breed of brazen thieves, farmers and country people are turning to history books to re-purpose security measures from medieval times,” said Tim Price, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual.
“Adapting centuries-old security with high tech solutions is already proving successful in keeping at bay thieves who don’t fear being caught on camera and have the skills to overcome electronic security systems,” explained Mr Price.
Farmers are also using hi-tech tracking devices and immobilisers on vehicles, CCTV video, dashcams, motion sensors, infra-red surveillance and SmartWater marking in their farmyards and even DNA markers to protect sheep from rustlers.
Repeat attacks
The report has also found that limited police resources and repeat attacks are the biggest fears for people in rural communities, with many forced to change the way they live and work as a result of rural crime.
“With police facing huge challenges – including budget cuts and extra workload – forces are finding it hard to resource rural policing and this may be one of the reasons for the rise in thefts we are seeing,” said Tim Price.
“However social media is fast becoming the new eyes and ears of the countryside, strengthening the community ties that help in the reporting and recording of crime and bringing thieves to justice.”
As the main insurer of the countryside, NFU Mutual has responded to its members’ concerns and has invested more than £1.2m to tackle the menace of rural crime.
“The results of initiatives we support show clearly that when police, farmers and other rural organisations tackle rural crime in an organised way these schemes can be extremely effective,” said Mr Price.
Quads and ATVs
• Quads and ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) are disappearing from farms in large numbers – thanks to being easy to transport and lack of registration plates
• The cost of Quad and ATV theft claims to NFU Mutual rose from £2m in 2016 to £2.3m in 2017
• CESAR marking and tracking devices are the most effective security measures, once basic measures of keeping vehicles out of sight in a building with the machine secured have been addressed
Tractors
• Thieves are increasingly cloning the identity of tractors to make detection more difficult
• The cost of agricultural vehicle theft claims to NFU Mutual rose to £5.9m, an increase of £500,000 from 2016
• Thieves are stealing small, older tractors to export to third world countries as well as expensive large models
• NFU Mutual goes to extreme lengths to trace and recover stolen tractors which have been exported to send a strong message to thieves
Livestock
• The estimated cost of livestock theft reported to NFU Mutual increased from £2.2m in 2016 to £2.4m in 2017
• Thefts of large numbers of lambs are raising concerns that stock is being stolen for slaughter and processing outside regulated abattoirs before illegally entering the food chain
• Technology - including DNA testing and electronic chips - now offers robust evidence to help bring rustlers to justice
• ‘Ewe Hostels’ which provide secure housing for sheep seized by police while investigations are made, are being funded by NFU Mutual.
