Co-ordinated action sees drop in rural crime cost

While the scourge of rural crime still cost the industry an estimated £44.1m in 2024, across the UK that still represents a welcome fall of 17% from the previous year’s bill, according to the latest rural crime report from NFU Mutual.

And the positive result, says the rural insurer, has its roots in co-ordinated action and collaboration.

See also: NFU demands action on rising rural crime rates

Hannah Binns, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, says that, while the drop is encouraging, the industry must stay alert and continue to collaborate.

“Co-ordinated efforts from insurers, farmers, manufacturers, police, industry and lawmakers are crucial in delivering a unified response to the rural crime challenge posed by organised criminals and opportunistic thieves,” she said.

Rural crime by region

In England, the Midlands scored the highest in total cost of rural crime per region with £8.1m, but it also saw the greatest fall, dropping by 31% from £11.7m in 2023.

Northern Ireland and Scotland also saw decreases, down 9% and 33% to £1.8m and £1.2m, respectively.

Wales was the only area to see a cost increase, up 18% to £2.8m.

Despite this increase, Rob Taylor, Wales rural and wildlife crime co-ordinator, insists his force remains committed to tackling rural crime.

“A key part of our co-ordinated approach is the new revised Wales Wildlife & Rural Crime Strategy, which will be launching in July,” he explained.

This aims to further enhance collaboration between the police, partner agencies, and farmers to reduce rural crime.

Types of rural crime

In terms of what the criminals were after, quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) remained the top target, with thefts amounting to an estimated £2.7m, albeit that this figure was 16% lower than in 2023. 

Overall, agricultural vehicle thefts fell 35% to an estimated £7m last year, while GPS units experienced an even greater fall – down 71% to £1.2m, following a spike in 2023.

Livestock theft remained high in 2024 at an estimated cost of £3.4m across the UK.

UK farm animals worth an estimated £1.8m were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2024, but that too was down by more than a quarter compared to the previous year.

In Wales, Dafydd Llywelyn, police and crime commissioner for the Dyfed-Powys area, says his main message to farmers is to recognise the importance of reporting suspicious activity and all incidents to the police.

“The police can only deal with what they know, and sometimes what might seem like a small piece of information – for example, details of a suspicious vehicle or individuals acting suspiciously – can be the missing piece of a jigsaw,” he said.

Countering crime

Working together, the National Rural Crime Unit and NFU Mutual operate a dedicated team that shares data to identify risk areas and theft patterns, leading to increased recoveries.

This kind of collaboration saw the National Construction and Agri Theft Team seize £4.4m worth of stolen agricultural vehicles and machinery in 2024.

“International recoveries also increased to £1.15m due to our information sharing agreement with Interpol,” says the team’s supervisor, DS Christopher Piggott.

Last year, NFU Mutual also committed funding for a three-to-four-year term for the UK’s first livestock theft officer, and provided more than £400,000 on other rural crime fighting initiatives.

“We’ve seen real progress, including the passing of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act, hare coursing amendments in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, and the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Amendments Bill now moving through Parliament,” adds NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos.

“But we still need to see swift implementation and enforcement to make a real difference on the ground.” 

Crime prevention tips

Addressing crime requires a collaborative approach, but rural groups say there are steps the rural community can take, alongside new legislation and police efforts, to strengthen their homes and businesses.

“We advise members to take key preventative actions such as regularly checking locks, installing CCTV and alarm systems, and using tracking devices on machinery and equipment,” says Rhianna Montgomery, NFU Scotland policy manager.

Dyfed-Powys PC Ashley Jones, who is part of the rural crime team in Carmarthenshire, says farmers and rural residents need to get more savvy.

Dyfed-Powys PC Ashley Jones © MAG/Anne Dunn

“When I go out to farms for crime prevention surveys, often the first thing we come across is expensive agricultural equipment, quad bikes, Kubota trucks, tractors, with the keys still in the ignition. You’ve got to try and think like a criminal,” he says.

Selecta DNA forensic marking kits © MAG/Anne Dunn

Investing in a portable locking system for quadbikes, as well as making sure vehicles and equipment have been marked with UV pens or Selecta DNA forensic markers, are other tools available to farmers.

To stay secure, farm businesses should also:

Physical

• Close and lock all gates and consider entry and exit points
• Remove keys from vehicles and store them in a safe, secure place
• Park farm machinery and vehicles out of sight, preferably in a lockable building
• Lock away high-value items such as GPS units
• Mark livestock and property
• Note serial and chassis numbers of items you own
• Use animals (such as a dog) to scare criminals off

Technical

• Install CCTV, security lighting and alarms
• Cesar mark, etch or mark farm name and postcode onto kit
• Add tracking devices and immobilisers onto vehicles
• PIN protect GPS units and apply manufacturer stickers
• Use mechanical immobilisers such as steering wheel or pedal locks on vehicles

Social

• Report all crimes and suspicious activity to the police
• Join and participate in rural watch groups such as the Farm Watch scheme
• Use local WhatsApp groups for immediate updates on suspicious sightings
• Use the Crimestoppers number, 0800 555 111, to report rural crime anonymously

Case study: ‘Stealing to order’

An arable and beef farmer from Hertfordshire had to lodge an insurance claim of £18,000 when he discovered that criminals had ripped out the electronic control system from a brand-new combine harvester, and stolen the GPS receiver and control screen from a Househam self-propelled sprayer.

Gary Williams © MAG/Anne Dunn

The 809ha farm near St Albans, which has been farmed by the Hudgell family for three generations, was struck by the thieves at night.

A neighbouring farm was raided exactly the same way 30mins later.

Despite clear CCTV footage, police were unable to track down the thieves as they were wearing balaclavas and gloves, leaving no fingerprints.

“It was obvious the thieves were stealing to order,” says Roger Hudgell. 

“Let’s just say I was extremely annoyed – especially as we have invested a lot of money on security measures including CCTV, alarms and locks on all the gates,” he says.

The farm has been targeted previously by organised criminals and, in one raid, thieves broke into its chemical store and took 900 litres of high-cost products, to the value of £27,000.