Cumbria farms targeted by GPS gadget thieves, police say

Cumbria Police has warned farmers to lock their GPS equipment away

Groups of criminals are travelling into the countryside to steal farmers' expensive GPS gadgets, police warned.

Cumbria Police said thieves targeted farms for the equipment, often used in tractors and other machinery to help map out boundaries and harvest crops.

The force said there had already been four such thefts in the county since the start of the year.

Ch Insp Lee Skelton said thefts like these could have a "devastating impact" on farmers.

He said the force was working with neighbouring forces to tackle the issue.

'Upping their game'

"Any theft can have a devastating impact, not just through the loss of a high-value technology but also the loss of vehicles, vital in assisting farmers in their everyday working lives," he said.

NFU Mutual said nationally the cost of thefts of the GPS systems - which can cost up to £10,000 - doubled in the period between January and April to more than £500,000, compared to the same period in 2022.

Bob Henderson, from NFU Mutual, said ahead of harvesting season he was concerned gangs would be "upping their game".

Mr Henderson said problems in the supply chain for replacement GPS devices were also causing a knock-on issues for farmers.

He warned farmers to remove GPS equipment from tractors and other machinery and lock them away securely.