Land Rover featured in anti-theft video broken up by thieves

A Land Rover featured in a video by the NFU Mutual lifting the lid on rural crime has been targeted by thieves just weeks after filming took place.

Leicestershire dairy farmer Andrew Stafford appeared in one of the videos as up to six Land Rover Defenders have been stolen from his farm over the past 20 years.

But since filming for the series, which also gives tips on preventing vehicle theft and sheep rustling, Mr Stafford’s current vehicle – the one featured in the video – has also been attacked by thieves.

See also: ‘Brazen’ criminals trigger sharp rise in farm thefts

Ten days ago the doors and bonnet were removed with a power tool in the middle of day while Mr Stafford went into his house for lunch.

He thinks the brazen criminals are probably the same ones who took his last vehicle, specifically targeting Mr Stafford’s isolated farm.

“We are in a very isolated location down a single-track road. The house is away from the farm buildings too.

“The vehicles have been stolen from various places on the farm,” he said. “Once we caught someone acting suspiciously in the yard and they ran off – that was at eight in the morning.”

Since production of the model ceased in 2016, Land Rover Defenders have become increasingly valuable targets for thieves to be broken up into parts.

In the video, Mr Stafford said he came across parts of one of his previously stolen Land Rovers on eBay.

For the same reason, he said it will be six weeks before he will get his current vehicle back from the dealer.

Mr Stafford said he has considered not owning Land Rovers in the future, but said other vehicles just don’t compare off-road.

In another of the videos, Clive Harris, NFU Mutual’s agricultural vehicle specialist says the best way to prevent theft of agricultural vehicles is with layers of defence.

But for Land Rovers, which are often broken up, farmers should mark each individual part with a “DNA” liquid to make them traceable.

NFU Mutual has produced five videos highlighting rural crime, available on to watch on its YouTube channel.