Cost of rural crime in Leicestershire up by 20 per cent

The figures was revealed by NFU Mutual in their latest annual Rural Crime Report, in which it was reported that the cost of criminal activity in countryside areas shot up across the midlands by 30 per cent to £11million, the highest regional increase in England.

In Leicestershire, alone, the cost of crime incidents to business owners and householders was £1,472,387 during 2022.

Rural crime costs across the UK, as a whole rose 22 per cent to just under £50million.

Theft of GPS systems, which are used to guide tractors and combine harvesters, has gone up significantly.

Without it, farmers face severe delays and disruption to harvesting and cultivating work, with long waits for replacement kit, which costs up to £10,000.

Quad bikes and all-terrain-vehicles (ATVs) were also top targets for rural thieves.

The UK cost of livestock theft rose 8.7 per cent in 2022. Claims reported to NFU Mutual regularly involve over 50 sheep being taken in a single raid, which has a devastating impact on breeding lines as well as causing huge worry for farmers about the welfare of the stolen animals.

Amid the cost-of-living crisis, diesel and heating oil thefts plagued farms and rural homes, leaving some families without heat at the coldest time of year. Fuel theft doubled last year.

Mike Alder, NFU Mutual regional manager for the midlands, said: “Highly-organised gangs are causing disruption to farming and widespread concern to people who live and work in the countryside.

“Rural theft is changing. It is not only opportunist thieves travelling a few miles, we are now seeing internationally organised criminal activity. These gangs target high-value farm machinery and GPS kits because they can be sold all over the world.

“Many items are stolen to order by thieves using online technology to identify where farm machinery is stored and scope out the best way to steal it. They will also spend hours watching the movement of farming families to work out the best time to attack."

He added: “Loss of vital machinery and GPS equipment causes huge disruption to farmers who are already stretched to the limit and replacing kit in the current economic situation can take months, adding additional stress.

“Those targeted by criminals may often second guess themselves in the aftermath of an incident as well as live in fear of repeat attacks on what is not only their workplace, but also their family home.

“That’s why we are working with farmers to help protect their livelihoods, sharing our advice and expertise as the main insurer of farmers and providing support to tackle rural crime.”

To help farmers and rural communities protect their livelihoods from the threat posed by organised crime, NFU Mutual provided over £400,000 in support for rural crime fighting initiatives last year.

A dedicated agricultural vehicle theft unit, funded and set up by NFU Mutual in 2010, is now part of the new National Rural Crime Unit. This will strengthen work so that specialist police resources can be targeted where they are needed most to protect farmers and the wider rural community.