Farmer scared to go out at night due to crimewave

A "worrying" rural crimewave is gripping areas such as west Wales, a farming union has warned.

NFU Cymru said it was aware of up to 20 thefts from farms in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire during the past few months.

One Pembrokeshire victim of theft of a quad bike - which unions say can be a "huge blow" - said his family were now nervous to be out on the farm at night.

Dyfed-Powys Police officers said they believed the culprits were likely to have checked farms out before striking.

Incidents of theft have been reported on social media across the area in Llanwnnen, Crosswell, Milford Haven, Rosebush, and the Gwaun valley.

Mark Davies, who farms in north Pembrokeshire, had a quad bike stolen from a shed in the early hours of bank holiday Monday in August.

It was captured on CCTV at about 01:10 BST, with the two thieves seen wheeling the bike away from his calving shed.

"We as farmers depend on the bike more than any sort of other item of machinery you have," says Mark Davies

"You could see these people coming in," he said.

"I felt really angry that they'd been on the yard and taken something. We as farmers depend on the bike more than any sort of other item of machinery you have."

New quad bikes can cost up to £10,000, and are viewed as the modern equivalent of the sheepdog

Mr Davies said the theft had an impact on his family.

"We've got three girls here and everybody is really nervous. They don't really want to go out on the yard in the dark.

"You weren't sure who was going to be there and if there's somebody watching you. It's definitely had an effect. It's not a nice feeling.

"I think the offenders know the law favours the offender to a point and restricts what police can do. Some areas of the community the police think is a no-go area.

"Perhaps the police know who they are, but it's very difficult to convict with the evidence."

"Unless you've got lots of cameras up everywhere you can't protect every inch of that land," says Aled Davies of NFU Cymru

Insurance company NFU Mutual's latest figures estimated the cost of rural crime increased by 4.3% across the UK year-on-year in 2023, to £52.8m.

Quad bike and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) theft reported to NFU Mutual cost an estimated £3.2m in 2023, up 9% compared with the previous year.

Rural crime in Wales was up an estimated 6.7% last year.

Aled Davies, NFU Cymru's county adviser for Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, said: "There's a bit of a crimewave happening at the moment, particularly in west Wales.

"We've got reports of up to 15 to 20 incidents in the last few months. It gives a worrying trend.

"Historically, it has always been organised crime behind it. They steal to order.

"It has a huge financial implication but a mental one too. Unless you've got lots of cameras up everywhere you can't protect every inch of that land."

He called the quad bike the modern day equivalent of the sheepdog with their loss potentially a "huge blow".

But he said farmers could take simple practical steps to protect themselves, including locking quad bikes away in a shed, getting a tracker, and installing CCTV.

PC Jonathan Thomas of Dyfed-Powys Police says rural crime "can have a massive impact on the community"

"Having a better police presence in rural areas would perhaps deter thieves," he added.

"I would never turn down the opportunity for more of a presence in rural areas from the police force."

PC Jonathan Thomas of Dyfed-Powys Police said: "It is very concerning. Unfortunately, there's an increase in rural crime, generally, across the force area.

"These incidents are also taking place during the hours of darkness which is very concerning. It can have a massive impact on the community and also the confidence of people who live in these rural areas."

PC Thomas believes offenders may have visited the farms to get the lie of the land before carrying out thefts.

"We don't know at this time who is responsible - however, what I would say is we believe these persons responsible are opportunists.

"They are people who will have a very good knowledge of these rural areas and the roads and routes to and from these areas. The likelihood is they will have attended these areas prior to committing the offence."