| Security
NFU Mutual warns of high tech
crime threats to countryside
Rural crime has remained broadly static in 2015 as farmers and police
adopted high-tech security measures to tackle increasingly sophisticated
thieves who are turning to computers rather than bolt cutters reports leading
rural insurer, NFU Mutual.
ts annual Rural Crime Report
reveals that the cost of rural
crime to the UK economy has
now reached £42.5 million a
year.
But despite little change
overall, regionally, there were still winners and
losers in the war on rural crime. The worst
affected regions remain the North East and
East of England, costing £7.9 and £6.9 million.
Whereas the Midlands and Northern Ireland
saw the biggest rises, on 2014, with costs
increasing by ten and 13 per cent.
Scotland and the South East however saw
reductions of six and nine per cent. Scotland
also has the lowest cost of rural crime, £1.7
million, closely followed by Wales, costing £2
million.
The cost of thefts from rural homes has
followed a similar trend for the past couple of
years, seeing a slight overall decrease to the
cost in 2015, £6.2m down from £7.1m in 2014;
however, the average claim was still significant
at over £2,400.
“We have seen a shift in the items being
targeted at rural homes though; in the latest
survey of NFU Mutual’s Agency network, the
theft of garden equipment was sited as the
biggest growing trend along with 4x4’s.” said
Tim Price, NFU Mutual Rural Affairs Specialist.
In the survey of NFU Mutual Agents, the
majority (65 per cent) also reported that thieves
in their area are becoming more sophisticated
in the way that they operate and cyber crime is
also a growing concern amongst their
communities.
"Their tactics now include cloning tractor
identities, advertising non-existent machinery in
agricultural publications and stealing the GPS
computer systems which are a key part of
modern farming.
"Farmers are having to regularly update
security measures at considerable cost to keep
high-tech criminals at bay. They are using
I
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
Tracker devices on tractors, video and infra-red
surveillance in their farm yards and even DNA
markers to protect sheep from rustlers,” said
Tim.
Tractors proved particularly vulnerable in the
East and North East of England where a spate
of high value thefts occurred and accounted for
almost half of the total cost (£5.4million) across
the UK.
Livestock rustling remains a huge problem
with costs stubbornly high in Northern Ireland
and the North East and South West of England.
At a total cost to the UK of £2.9 million, 70 per
cent came from these three regions alone.
However, successes have been seen. The
costs of quad bike (ATV) theft saw a five per
cent reduction, with Scotland seeing an
impressive 37 per cent following a large scale
initiative to provide specialist training to
affected police forces.
Equine tack and equipment thefts have
reduced by 41per cent – a huge reduction seen
across almost every region.
Tim Added: "As the insurer of three quarters
of the UK's farmers and many rural homes and
businesses we are taking a leading role in the
fight against rural crime. The success of our
joint schemes with police – almost halving the
cost of tractor theft since its peak in 2010 and
bringing livestock thieves to justice - is strong
evidence that by working together and evolving
with modern technology rural thieves can be
beaten."
Social media is now the main resource for
sharing information about crime in rural
communities and can be a valuable tool – not
only for the prevention of rural crime but also
catching criminals and returning stolen goods.
People living and working in the countryside
should regularly evaluate their security
measures – making improvements where
necessary, remain vigilant and report any
suspicious activity to the local police but also
community watch schemes.
Top five targeted items nationally:
1
2
3
4
5
ATV / Quad Bikes
Machinery
Farm and commercial tools
Garden equipment
Livestock
Land Rover Defender thefts increase as
vehicles acquire iconic classic status
The rural insurer is also urging owners of
Land Rover Defenders to increase security
measures and be vigilant to thieves to reduce
the risk of their vehicles, or parts of their
vehicles, being stolen.
Latest figures from the insurer reveal that
claims costs for theft of Defender vehicles rose
to £2.1 million in 2016, an increase of 17%
since 2015.
The region with the highest cost of Land
Rover Defender thefts last year was the North
East, followed by the South East, the Midlands
and the South West.
The worst affected counties were West
Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Kent, Somerset and
Lancashire.
This comes as the last of the Land Rover
Defenders rolled off the production line in
January last year.
Clive Harri