Farmers face cost of 'organised' rural crime - insurer

Criminals target vehicles, livestock and GPS systems

An insurance expert has warned that rural crime is becoming “more organised, sophisticated and determined in its nature”.

The cost of rural crime in the South East was £8.9m in 2023, according to National Farmers Union (NFU) Mutual.

Rural crime includes theft of vehicles, livestock, fuel, dogs attacking farm animals, fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping.

NFU Mutual spokesperson Colin Campbell said how better organised culprits are becoming “is incredibly alarming for people who live and work in the countryside".

A report published last month by the Country Land and Business Association warned that police forces in England and Wales that cover large rural areas are "in crisis" and need more funding to fight back against the organised gangs.

Mr Campbell said thieves are increasingly targeting high value equipment such as Global Positioning System (GPS) units, the theft of which has increased in the UK by 137%.

'Spate of thefts'

Thieves frequently target several farms in one night before moving locations to steal GPS units, which can cost over £10,000, often revisiting farmyards weeks later to steal any replacements, said the insurer.

Without GPS, the rural insurer said farmers and agricultural contractors could face severe delays and disruption to harvesting and cultivating work.

Quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles were also top targets for rural thieves, with thefts up 9% in the UK to an estimated £3.2m in claim costs reported to NFU Mutual last year.

Despite rural crime increasing across the UK, the cost fell in the South East by 3.8% in 2023 according to the latest figures.

A NFU Mutual spokesperson said numbers can "fluctuate" year on year due to the high value of equipment stolen as "a few larger claims or a spate of thefts can see numbers go up - whereas a decrease in larger claims will see them go down".

Supt Andrew Huddleston, head of the National Rural Crime Unit, said: “All police forces that have had GPS units stolen are part of a national group that are working together to tackle this threat and help protect the UK's farming industry."