IN its 2020 Rural Crime Report, published on Tuesday August 4, leading rural insurer NFU Mutual reveals that rural crime cost Devon and Cornwall £550,000 last year.

Devon and Cornwall saw a fall of one per cent from 2018, compared to a national increase of nearly nine per cent.

Across the UK, rural crime cost £54m in 2019 with the total being largely driven by organised criminal gangs targeting high value tractors, quad bikes and large numbers of livestock.

While there have been some reductions in crime under lockdown, there are concerns that rural theft is set to escalate as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic bites.        

In 2019, rural crime rose in every region and nation within the UK. The biggest percentage increase was seen in Scotland (44.1 per cent), although its rural crime cost remains below the UK average.  The cost of rural crime in the South West rose 14 per cent to £6.6m in 2019, while the lowest regional increase was in North East England, up 0.4 per cent.

For the second year running, the sharp rises are being driven by organised criminal gangs targeting high-value tractors, quad bikes and other farm vehicles – accounting for an increase of nearly 25 per cent to £9.3m on agricultural vehicles in the UK.

Within that total, quad bike and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) theft rose by 21 per cent to £3.1m. In addition, Land Rover Defender thefts reported to NFU Mutual rose by 34 per cent to £2.1m. Demand from overseas for expensive farm kit is fuelling the rise and in one joint operation between NFU Mutual and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, five vehicles totalling more than £100,000 were recovered from Poland earlier this year.

Livestock theft also increased in 2019 with the UK cost going up nine per cent to £3m. Well-organised gangs taking large numbers of sheep, which are thought to enter the food chain illegally, are driving the increase.

A spate of sheep being slaughtered and butchered in farmers’ fields also contributed to the rise, and farmers continued to be affected by rustling during the pandemic – with initial figures suggesting an increase of nearly 15 per cent year-on-year in April 2020.

Theft of tractor global positioning systems (GPS) is a major concern as farms move to using precision technology to run field operations. Typically costing £8,000 to £10,000, GPS equipment has become a highly-prized item on the shopping lists of rural thieves, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown where smaller, high-value items appear to have been targeted to meet demand overseas.

Roz Hill, Regional Manager at NFU Mutual in Devon and Cornwall, said: “While we welcome the news that Devon and Cornwall didn’t see the sharp increases of the rest of the UK, rural crime continues to have a devastating impact on our farmers and rural communities.

“Rural crime is like a wave as organised criminality spreads through our farms and villages, affecting everyone in the countryside. We continue to work hard to stem the tide and are warning rural communities and helping with prevention advice, as there are concerns for the months ahead as the economic impact of Coronavirus bites.

“There’s no doubt that organised criminal gangs are targeting our countryside again and these figures would be much higher if it weren’t for the specialist rural crime team at Devon and Cornwall Police, and improved farm security measures such as trackers for tractors and quads.”

A survey of NFU Mutual Agents last year found that a quarter knew someone who had been forced to change the way they lived or farmed as a result of crime and the biggest fear in rural communities was repeat attacks.