Long winter nights bring rural crime warning for farmers

Rural crime is an unrelenting nuisance for farmers – be it fly-tippers, thieves stalking farmyards to pilfer expensive kit or fuel, rustlers brazenly stealing livestock, or poachers wrecking fields and gates.

There is concern that the cost-of-living crisis will prompt more theft of high-value items from farms this winter that can be sold on the black market, such as diesel or livestock.

Better farm security often requires investment, but if this serves as an effective deterrent – or even helps lead to rural criminals being caught – then it is money well spent.

See also: Ultimate guide to farm security kit

One farmer who rents a number of redundant livestock buildings for plant machinery storage has beefed up his security after thieves raided the farm, located in west Kent.

“They got away with a haul of expensive kit and tried to come back a few months later, but we had installed motion sensors, alarms, cameras and lights,” says the farmer, who asked not to be named.

“The place lit up when they triggered the sensors and they fled with nothing. It has required investment, but this added security has given me and my tenants more peace of mind.”

The new security system, which has thrown a protective ring around three large buildings, cost about £1,500.

The farmer says an added value of the new security system, which includes CCTV, is that he now also has a “calving cam” looking out over a nearby field, allowing him to keep a close eye on the cows via his smartphone.

While not always feasible, installing field cameras to monitor livestock could help farmers disrupt rustlers – who, it appears, are becoming ever more brazen.

Kent farmer Ed Lovejoy had 116 ewes worth about £17,000 stolen from a field in Woodchurch in early September, six miles from Ashford.

Mr Lovejoy told Sky News he was left “stunned” and “feeling pretty sick” by the daring raid.

It is believed that someone entered the field on a quad bike to round up the sheep and steal them, with the animals probably destined for the illegal meat market.

Police advice

Police Sgt Rob Maris, from Thames Valley Police’s rural crime taskforce, says the long winter nights generally lead to an increase in theft of machinery and tools.

“Ensure you record serial numbers and other identifying features of your property. Trailers and plant machinery should all have serial numbers on chassis plates as well as etched into the frames,” he tells Farmers Weekly.

“You know your land better than anyone else, so having a list of What3words next to your phone, labelling key entrance points to your land and each barn, can save vital time in getting officers to your property in an emergency,” Sgt Maris says.

He warns that poachers might also use their illegal hunting as cover for staking out farms to gather intelligence for future raids.

Sgt Maris urges farmers to report every incident, no matter what it is (see “Farmers told: Report, record, review”).

“Tyre tracks on land, trespassers running their dogs and damage to gates might not seem much in isolation,” he says.

“But as police, we are reviewing large series of offences together with other police forces, and the damage to a gate could link to a burglary miles down the road.

“It may generate the missing piece to the puzzle. Identifying on CCTV a vehicle make or model could be what we need to put our resources in the right place at the right time.”

Campaign

Rural insurer NFU Mutual has stepped up its rural crime prevention winter campaign (see “NFU Mutual winter security guide”).

Rural affairs specialist Rebecca Davidson said: “Strong security measures do deter thieves, but need regular updating to remain effective, as thieves are adept at finding ways to defeat them.

“As the clocks go back, it’s a good time to look at your farm from the perspective of a would-be thief and take action to put new measures in place if you spot weaknesses.”