Rise in rural crime in Northamptonshire ‘incredibly alarming’ warns NFU Mutual as organised gangs target farmers

NFU Mutual’s new report reveals the total cost of rural crime across UK rose above £50 million with Global Positioning System (GPS) units the hot ticket item, rocketing 137 percent to £4.2 million.

Since 2021 NFU Mutual has invested more than £1 million in initiatives to tackle rural crime working with National Rural Crime Unit to share intelligence and catch criminals – a collaboration that saw £3.1 million worth of stolen vehicles and machinery seized last year.

Esther Pritt, senior agent at NFU Mutual Kettering, says the rise in organised crime targeting rural communities is ‘incredibly alarming’ as farm houses are ‘staked out’ and repeatedly attacked.

She said: “All the indications suggest rural crime is becoming more organised, sophisticated and determined in its nature, which is incredibly alarming for people who live and work in the countryside.

“While the overall cost of agricultural vehicle theft fell, thanks to co-ordinated efforts, it is concerning to see the value of GPS and all-terrain vehicles (ATV) thefts continue to rise, with thieves turning to technology to scope out locations.

“Intelligence highlights these criminals often target several farms in one night before moving locations, then return weeks later looking to steal any replacements.

“As the leading rural insurer, we know the impact of rural crime goes well beyond the practicalities of farming. It’s the unnerving feeling that criminals have boldly staked out and targeted farmyards and fields, often a few feet from the family home. It’s also living in fear of repeat attacks, knowing that thieves are always looking for new ways to target rural communities.”

NFU Mutual says it is working with farmers, manufacturers, police and politicians to provide a united response to the challenge of ‘organised criminals’ and ‘opportunistic thieves’.

The cost of rural crime in Northamptonshire rose 67.1 percent to an estimated £849,000 last year, reflecting the UK-wide trend.

Published on Thursday, August 1, NFU Mutual’s new report reveals that rural crime cost the UK an estimated £52.8 million in 2023, up from £50.6 million the previous year.

Global Positioning System (GPS) units were targeted by gangs operating across the UK throughout 2023, causing the value of claims to NFU Mutual to rocket by 137 percent to an estimated £4.2 million.

Quad bikes and ATVs were also top targets for rural thieves, with thefts up nine percent to an estimated £3.2 million in claim costs.

However, in a positive sign of the co-ordinated action against thieves, the total claims cost for agricultural vehicles thefts reported fell nine percent.

Livestock theft remained high in 2023, including a spate of alarming incidents where farm animals were butchered in fields.

Farm animals worth an estimated £2.4 milliom were severely injured or killed in dog attacks across the UK in 2023, up nearly a third compared to the previous year.

For more information on rural crime trends and advice on how to beat rural crime see NFU Mutual’s Rural Crime Report 2024 at www.nfumutual.co.uk/farming/rural-crime/.