Quad bikes and tools top the list of the most stolen items from farms in the last year, and farm managers can do more to prevent this plague from spreading.
That's the view of a national alarm company, which says that more attention to crime prevention will save farm businesses thousands of pounds spent in replacing equipment and higher insurance premiums.
"Theft has always been the scourge of the farm business," says Monitored Alarms
spokesperson Jonathan Ratcliffe, "But quad bikes are being stolen as never before at a rate of 15 per week, and its clear these are not opportunist thieves."
According to a survey carried out by Monitored Alarms, the results virtually mirror those produced by NFU Mutual last year, and show that thieves favour items which are readily portable. The most stolen items from farms in 2015:
• Power tools
• ATVs/Quad bikes
• Trailers
• Machinery and tractors
• Livestock
• Garden equipment
• Oil/Diesel
• Equestrian equipment
• Bicycles
• Solar panels
"We've studied data provided by NFU Mutual, and carried out our own survey, and the majority of thefts are by gangs who have planned their raids in advance," Ratcliffe says. "These are career criminals who target farms as they are seen as an easy target."
The only real blessing is that the global oil price collapse has led to far fewer instances of diesel theft in the last year, Ratcliffe points out, but they still remain a major issue, and farmers are urged not to let their collective guard down.
Speaking to Monitored Alarms on condition of anonymity, farmers told us about their experiences.
Dave, Suffolk: "We beefed up our security this year and it paid off. Our CCTV footage showed at attempt on the building where we keep the quad bike and a few trailers, the alarm triggered and they got away with nothing."
John, Nottinghamshire: "We had two diesel thefts which forced us to really up our security. Nothing since, which shows they're put off if you make life difficult for them."
Ronald, Cornwall: "Who'd have thought crooks would have them time and patience to steal our solar panels? But they did. They'll take anything they think's worth a few quid, won't they?"
Thefts of solar panels are just appearing on the radar for agricultural crime, Ratcliffe says. While they're relatively difficult to transport, gangs of thieves can work in a field of panels under the guise of maintenance workers and steal gear worth thousands.
While it will never be possible to wipe out agricultural crime entirely, Ratcliffe say that a few simple steps can help farmers help themselves:
• Be wary of strangers asking for casual work. Take a note of the vehicle details if they arrive by car.
• Ask a security company for a site audit to find points where intruders might get in
• Make sure your security systems are visible to outsiders. Visible deterrents work.
• Keep your insurance up-to-date to make sure all your equipment is covered.
