Tool theft 'epidemic' continues to hit UK farms, warns NFU Mutual

Tool theft is costing rural Britain millions and leaving farmers increasingly exposed, with fresh figures showing the problem remains “significant”.

NFU Mutual estimates rural crime cost the UK economy £44.1 million in 2024, covering offences from livestock rustling to the theft of vital agricultural machinery and tools.

Separate research by the insurer found nearly two-thirds of tradespeople have been victims of tool theft in the past 12 months.

The most common incidents included theft from sites (36%), tools stolen from vehicles (32%), vehicle theft (12%) and theft from business premises (11%).

With farms often storing high-value equipment in isolated locations, the impact on rural communities can be severe.

Zoe Knight, head of commercial at NFU Mutual, described tool theft as “an epidemic that continues to cause major issues and distress to hard-working farmers and tradespeople up and down the country”.

She warned that many workers depend entirely on their tools and vehicles to earn a living, and said stronger deterrents were needed.

“Tougher laws on tool theft would help deter thieves and tackle this growing issue,” she said.

Police say the issue is particularly acute in rural areas.

Andrew Huddleston, head of the National Rural Crime Unit and National Construction & Agri Theft Team, said tool theft remains “a significant issue”, adding that many farmers will either have experienced it themselves or know someone who has.

He said tools are frequently taken during wider incidents involving machinery.

“Alongside burglaries it is also not uncommon when a quad bike or tractor is stolen for tools to be grabbed as well,” he said, noting that chainsaws, drills, grinders and stone cutters are common targets.

Stolen tools can halt essential work during critical periods such as lambing, drilling or silaging, creating disruption far beyond the immediate financial loss.

While some stolen machinery is recovered each year, tools rarely are.

“Whilst a significant amount of machinery is recovered every year, tools very rarely are,” Mr Huddleston said, pointing to “the extremely poor identity marking by manufacturers on even high value tools” as a key factor.

Over the past two years, the National Rural Crime Unit and National Police Chiefs’ Council tool theft lead have called on manufacturers and Government to improve marking standards and introduce legislation.

In the meantime, farmers are being urged to tighten security. Mr Huddleston said basic measures remain effective deterrents.

“Basic security measures do help, so locks, lights, CCTV and the old farm dog in the yard is still as good a deterrent as it always was,” he said.

He advised farmers to buy machinery that is secure by design, avoid universal keys, consider tracking technology and use recognised marking systems such as the CESAR scheme.

However, he stressed that community vigilance is often the strongest defence.

“The most significant impact you can make is by being part of your local Rural Watch Scheme,” he said, adding that such initiatives have “proven time and again to make the area you live in more hostile for criminals.”

Without stronger identification standards and more robust deterrents, rural crime specialists warn that tool theft is likely to remain a persistent threat to farms and rural businesses.