Rural policing team recover £1m of stolen machinery

A renewed focus on tracking devices, sharing of intelligence and partnership with farmers on the ground is helping a rural crime team crack farm machinery theft.

Since January 2022, Leicestershire Police’s rural policing team has been working more closely with farmers to crack down on the theft of tractors, quad bikes, trailers, 4x4s and other bits of expensive kit.

The team has been keeping a tally of all the stolen equipment and items they have traced since then and the recovery value has now breached the £1m mark. Besides farm machinery, some of the more unusual items recovered include caravans, a goat and a parrot.

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The dedicated rural crime prevention unit comprises eight officers. This year alone, the team have made more than 850 farm visits.

Sgt Paul Archer said the officers had spent more time driving around the edges of farm fields trying to identify stolen machinery.

“The main items we have been recovering are Ifor Williams trailers, horseboxes and quads. Quite often criminals have been stashing these away off the road behind hedgerows for two or three days,” he said.

“We have found stolen agri kit hidden in fields where it often hidden away by the thieves. They leave it for a few days and if it’s not recovered, the thieves will know it doesn’t have a tracker.” 

Sgt Archer said Harriet Ranson, NFU county adviser for Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, has been a great adviser to the team. She has supported and guided them through their first two years along with her team.

Asked what three areas farmers should focus on to prevent crime, Sgt Archer said reporting all crimes, removing keys from all machinery when not in use, and sharing intelligence and information on WhatsApp groups and talking to each other about suspicious activity.