Farms under siege from criminals, but Wales bucks trend

WALES alone stood against a rising tide of rural crime in the UK

last year.

While insurance costs hit a seven-year peak in 2018, up 12% on the year, claims in Wales actually fell 7% to £2.4m.

The presence of dedicated rural crime teams, set up by police forces in North Wales and Dyfed-Powys, may partially explain the country’s counter trend.

Even so, police officers believe criminals everywhere are being attracted to countryside areas by the lure of soft targets and high value items.

Rural insurer NFU Mutual said farmers were now engaged in an arms race with organised gangs using angle grinders to slice through chains and padlocks. Increasingly they are turning to technological solutions such as infra-red beams, geo-fencing and drones, said Tim Price, the insurer’s rural affairs specialist.

A worrying trend was the rising level of anxiety in the countryside amid constant reports of thefts, suspicious vehicles and farm stake-outs.

Mr Price said many rural people feel they are “under siege”.

“In a single generation, country people have seen rural crime change from the opportunist theft of a single lamb, to brazen heists of tractors worth over £100,000 and rustlers stealing hundreds of sheep,” he said. “We are even seeing agricultural vehicles being stolen to smash into village shops to rob cash machines.

“As well as causing huge structural damage to buildings, these raids can lead to shop owners not replacing ATMs for fear of further attacks.”

Mr Price said gangs were taking advantage of farms’ isolated locations to steal machinery, raid tool stores and even butcher sheep in fields.

“Some farmers are so concerned about the risk of criminal attack they can no longer leave the farm with their family to attend local events,” he added.

While crime prevention measures have been stepped up on farms, livestock left on remote fields and mountains are particularly vulnerable.

In recent weeks three Conwy farmers have reported thefts totalling 99 ewes, all from remote areas but within reach of the A55.

And earlier this year more than 140 sheep were stolen from fields next to the A483 at Rossett, near Wrexham.

Rob Taylor, manager of the North Wales rural crime team, believes high CCTV densities in cities are forcing criminals to target the countryside where the chances of getting caught are lower.

“If a quad bike disappears we can at least get an idea when it was taken, and then use CCTV to track vehicles,” he said.

“But livestock thefts are often identified long after they have gone, making it much more difficult.”

Claims figures from NFU Mutual revealed that rural crime across the UK totalled £50m last year, up 12% on 2017.