Analysis from the past five years of plant and machinery theft and recovery information by stolen vehicle recovery specialists, TRACKER, has revealed thieves are systematically targeting the South East and North West of England. With rural crime changing from a highly opportunist activity to organised crime, and rapidly on the rise, TRACKER warns that all businesses, particularly farmers, across the UK are at risk and is urging them to protect their assets.
"The crime is relatively low risk and lucrative for thieves, with proceeds being linked to a range of serious and organised crime, including terrorism. But the problem can very easily be tackled by putting in place better security measures. Indeed, we believe this is key to reducing rural crime, as the majority of these thefts are attributed to a lack of adequate security," says Stuart Chapman, a Police Liaison Officer from TRACKER.
Kent in the South East and Manchester in the North West have consistently recorded the highest levels of plant theft according to TRACKER. However, these are not the only theft hot spots. Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, also counties within the South East, have recorded high levels of theft activity over the five years, along with Essex in East Anglia.
Whilst London ranked third overall in the five year theft league table, year-on-year a small decrease in theft activity has been recorded for 2010 against 2009. The East Midlands meanwhile, has seen the most noticeable rise (6 per cent) in plant theft in 2010 against 2009, with Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire in particular seeing an increase in activity.
TRACKER offers an unrivalled level of protection against the growing threat of plant theft, with its market leading stolen vehicle recovery system significantly increasing the chances of recovery. The system is Thatcham approved, offering added quality assurance and the possibility of an insurance discount.
A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the plant. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there. Unlike other tracking systems, the device works no matter where the plant is hidden, even if taken abroad, offering owners the ultimate in peace of mind should the worst happen.
With 95%3 of the £70 million4 worth of reported stolen ’plant’ and agricultural machinery never recovered, TRACKER urges businesses/farmers to protect their assets with a covert tracking device. A staggering 68 per cent of all stolen plant TRACKER recovers is done so within 24 hours of its stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) device being activated – 10 per cent of which was recovered within just one hour.
Chapman concludes, "The total income from farming in the UK is £4.07 billion, making the agricultural industry a vital part of the UK’s economy, especially for thousands of families who live in rural areas. Protecting assets and in turn profitability is something that can very much be tackled head on and installing a covert tracking device should be a farmer’s first line of defence."
Regions where Plant has been recorded as Stolen by TRACKER
2006-2010
South East 30%
North West 13%
London 9%
West Midlands 9%
Yorkshire & Humberside 9%
East Midlands 8%
East Anglia 8%
South West 6%
Scotland 3%
North East 2%
Wales 2%
2010
South East 28%
North West 15%
East Midlands 12%
East Anglia 12%
West Midlands 9%
Yorkshire & Humberside 8%
London 6%
Scotland 4%
Wales 4%
South West 1%
North East 1%
2009
South East 27%
North West 19%
Yorkshire & Humberside 9%
East Anglia 8%
West Midlands 8%
London 8%
South West 6%
East Midlands 6%
Scotland 4%
North East 0%
Wales
Top Ten Counties of Notable Theft Activity (excluding London)
2006-2010
Kent 18%
Manchester 14%
Surrey 13%
Lancashire 9%
Essex 9%
Hampshire 9%
Hertfordshire 8%
Berkshire 7%
Staffordshire 7%
Buckinghamshire 6%
2010
Kent 19%
Manchester 18%
Essex 10%
Cambridgeshire 10%
Buckinghamshire 10%
Berkshire 8%
Cheshire 8%
Northamptonshire 6%
Lincolnshire 6%
Hertfordshire 5%
2009
Manchester 24%
Surrey 13%
Essex 10%
Norfolk 10%
Kent 8%
Hampshire 8%
Berkshire 6%
Oxfordshire 6%
Buckinghamshire 5%
Lincolnshire 5%
Staffordshire 5%
