Stolen farm quad bikes used in urban crimes - NFU

Thieves stole a quad bike, a trailer and power tools from the farm of Robert Wigley

After farming in Derbyshire for half a century, Robert Wigley became the victim of a major theft for the first time last September.

His quad bike, trailer and a selection of power tools were stolen overnight.

He is not alone and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) says quad bikes like Robert's are stolen and used to commit other crimes in cities.

Since the theft, Robert has stepped up security on his farm in Middleton-by-Youlgreave by installing CCTV cameras and he now keeps his new quad bike in a big metal shipping container.

Robert's story is being told as part of Farmwatch, a BBC initiative which celebrates farming communities across the country.

Robert has resorted to storing his quad bike in a shipping container to prevent thieves from stealing it

"I can't use the proper word that I would like to use, but I am annoyed," Robert said.

"You can't take the law into your own hands, you have to leave it up to the powers that be and hope that they come up with a result."

Derbyshire Police say a 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and theft in connection with the incident. He has been released on bail as investigations continue.

Most of the day-to-day work on Robert's cattle farm is done by his son, because he needs a stick to help him walk.

The quad bike was chained to a girder in a barn when it was taken - but Robert is confident that thieves will not get through his new security measures.

When asked how the theft had made him feel, the 71-year-old said: "More annoyed. Definitely not nervous.

"We are not the sort of family that gets nervous - but we're more aware of our surroundings."

NFU county chairman Jane Bassett says criminals are stealing quad bikes from farms to commit crime in cities

The theft of quad bikes is something that is on the radar of the NFU's Derbyshire chairman Jane Bassett, who has a cattle farm in Hartington, and is in regular contact with the police.

"Quite often [quad bikes] go and they will be used in other areas. They will go out of the county and go further afield into cities and are part of even more crime," she said.

"So two crimes have been committed."

According to the Police National Database, 11 quad bikes have been stolen in Derbyshire in 2025 and 19 were stolen last year.

Supt Andrew Huddleston, head of the National Rural Crime Unit, said these figures did not tell the full picture because some thefts would not be reported by farmers.

He said there was "undoubtedly" a link between these thefts and organised crime, and these vehicles were attractive to criminals because they were versatile.

"If you have a quad bike, or an off-road motorbike, you can go where a police car can't, you can disappear into a back street, you can go off-road, you can go up steps, you can go on a rail line," he said.

He added many of the bikes that were stolen were involved in acts of anti-social behaviour in cities and warned that people like Robert should be on their guard because they were likely to be targeted again.

"If you are a victim of crime in a rural area, you are increasingly more likely to be a victim again because the criminals know you have this type of machinery, they know where you are and it is often because you are accessible to get in and out and steal things," he said.