Cost of rural thefts falls – but thieves return with new tactics
Raiders turning focus to smaller, high-value targets like GPS
The cost of rural thefts in West Sussex fell by 21 per cent in 2020 as Covid restrictions helped keep criminals out of the countryside, according to new figures.
Research by rural insurer NFU Mutual showed the cost of rural thefts last year was an estimated £640,000.
But despite the year-onyear decrease, NFU Mutual said highly organised criminals continued to plague farms in the South East during the pandemic, stealing expensive equipment, tractors, quad bikes and tools.
Colin Campbell, NFU Mutual regional manager for the South East, said: “Coronavirus restrictions, beefed-up security on farms and more effective rural crime policing provided a welcome fall in rural thefts last year.
“While lockdown may have locked some criminals out of the countryside, rural crime hasn’t gone away.
“Thieves are now returning armed with new tactics and targets. As the economic impact of the pandemic bites, we are very concerned that rural theft may escalate significantly.”
NFU Mutual said thieves got more ‘bang for their buck’ as they turned their focus onto smaller, high-value targets including farming global positioning systems (GPS).
Without GPS – an essential part of modern farming – harvests can be delayed and some farmers left unable to work.
NFU Mutual saw the UKwide cost of claims for GPS almost double last year to £2.9million as demand across the globe fuelled the crime wave.
Other rural crimes, including dog attacks on livestock and fly-tipping, rose across the UK.
“Last year saw sharp rises in other crimes such as dog attacks on livestock which caused appalling suffering to farm animals and huge anxiety for farmers and their families as they dealt with the aftermath,” Mr Campbell said.
Outlining steps taken to tackle persistent rural crime issues, he added: “There’s no doubt that when we work together with police, farmers, communities and other rural organisations to tackle rural crime it can make a real difference. That’s why we’re investing over £430,000 in carefully targeted rural security schemes this year. The extra funding will help police join forces with local farmers, set up covert operations and recover more stolen machinery from countries across Europe.
“We believe this is vital support because rural crime isn’t just about money to replace stolen tractors. It causes disruption, seriously affects farmers’ mental wellbeing and destroys the trust which enables rural communities to flourish.
“With more and more people using the countryside, we are urging the public to support farmers and rural communities by reporting suspicious sightings and crimes to the police.
“Farmers in the South East region have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, keeping the nation fed and caring for the countryside. By working together, we can help stem the tide when the criminals become more active again.”
The decrease in the cost of rural thefts across the South
East as a whole was 18.6 per cent, broadly in line with the national decrease, which NFU Mutual recorded at 20.3 per cent. Only one region, the North West, recorded a cost rise – up three per cent to £3.7million.
Rural theft in East Sussex fell 18 per cent to an estimated cost of £490,000 .
Over the past two years, NFU Mutual has invested more than £850,000 in the fight against rural crime including a police
UK-wide agricultural vehicle crime tracking and recovery unit. For more information on rural crime trends and advice, download NFU Mutual’s report at www.nfumutual.co.uk/ ruralcrime