Police have stepped up efforts to tackle rural theft across the Thames Valley
Police have recovered £4.2 million worth of stolen property in a major crackdown on rural crime across the Thames Valley, with hundreds of arrests made over the past year.
Thames Valley Police's Rural Crime Taskforce also carried out more than 500 stop searches over the past 12 months, according to figures released by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner on 4 November.
The figures highlight efforts to tackle offences affecting farmers, agricultural businesses and countryside communities, including the theft of valuable machinery and equipment.
The latest results follow a reported 34% year-on-year fall in rural crime across the Thames Valley, revealed in Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber's annual report published in June.
Nationally, rural crime cost the UK an estimated £41.5 million in 2025, down 6% from £44.1 million the previous year, according to NFU Mutual's 2026 Rural Crime Report.
Despite the overall decline, agricultural vehicle theft claims rose by 18% to £8.3 million, while the cost of quad bike and ATV theft increased by 31% to £3.5 million.
NFU Mutual Rural Affairs Specialist Hannah Binns said: "Rural crime is more organised than ever, with criminals prepared to go to extreme lengths, and 2025 proved no exception."
In the Thames Valley, efforts to prevent theft have included farm visits, property marking and security advice aimed at making agricultural equipment less attractive to criminals.
More than 250 farms received visits and forensic property marking during 2025/26, supported by a dedicated rural crime adviser funded by the Commissioner's office.
The taskforce, established in March 2022, has previously recovered a wide range of stolen property. Earlier police figures included 63 items of plant and machinery, alongside motor vehicles and caravans.
However, the latest £4.2 million recovery figure has not been broken down by equipment type, leaving it unclear how much relates specifically to tractors, agricultural machinery, GPS systems or other farm equipment.
The figures were released following a regional event on 3 November, which brought together police, councils, farming organisations and other partners to discuss rural crime prevention and enforcement.
Barber is continuing to press for stronger measures to prevent theft, including the full implementation of legislation intended to protect valuable equipment.
He has also called on manufacturers to improve security measures to make machinery and other high-value assets harder for criminals to steal.