Stolen tractor worth £150k recovered near port

Police have recovered a tractor stolen worth about £150,000 in Southampton, Hampshire.

The tractor – a Fendt 720 – was stolen from a farm in Sussex, according to Hampshire Police.

It is understood the tractor may have been destined for the port to be sold abroad on the black market.

See also: NFU Mutual warns of rise in tractor cloning fraud

Rural officers are appealing for help to recover a similar tractor that was stolen from the same farm.

Anyone with information is urged to call Hampshire Police on 101 and ask for PC 23953.

Six ways to help prevent your tractor being stolen

  1. Where possible, vehicles should be housed in a lockable garage or building, ideally with security lighting installed to the perimeter.
  2. Tractors should always be locked when not in use, with the keys kept hidden and locked away in a secure location.
  3. Security marking with DNA marking devices and SmartWater tools enables tractors and their parts to be traced back to their rightful owners.
  4. Sign up to the CESAR scheme – an agricultural equipment registration scheme – which increases the chance of recovering stolen goods by helping police identify stolen machinery.
  5. Have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched on windows to make tractors more detectable and less appealing to thieves because they have to grind out the numbers. Companies such as Autoglass can provide this service.
  6. Install immobilisers, chip keys and trackers, as these are simple ways to deter criminals or track vehicles and can be fitted easily by an experienced agricultural engineer. 

Source: NFU Mutual