Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual’s 2022 Rural Crime Report reveals that rural crime cost Devon and Cornwall an estimated £460,000 in 2021, a fall of 37% from the previous year.

However, claims indications show a rise in the cost of rural crime towards the end of 2021 in both the South West and in England as a whole.

Initial indications from the insurer also reveal the first quarter of 2022 has seen thieves making up for time lost over the pandemic, with UK costs over 40% higher than the same period last year. The surge follows a UK-wide drop of 9.3% to £40.5-million in 2021. Last year, well-organised criminals continued to plague farmyards, stealing high-value farm machinery as the UK cost of agricultural vehicle theft reported to NFU Mutual remained at over £9m.

Land Rover Defender owners battled a barrage of crime as the rocketing value of second-hand cars and replacement parts saw thieves stealing the iconic British 4x4 vehicles and stripping them down, with the cost of claims shooting up by 87% to £2.6-million nationally.

Although NFU Mutual saw the cost of stolen quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) fall 11% to £2.2-million in 2021, almost half of those thefts took place from September to December.

As shipping delays and the effects of COVID and Brexit contributed to low supply and a rise in demand, thieves turned their sights back to these easily portable, hot-ticket items to capitalise on growing waiting lists and soaring market values.

Rustling has also become more lucrative for criminal gangs, and latest analysis shows farm animals worth an estimated £2.4-million were stolen in 2021.

Soaring food prices could mean that livestock theft now increases, raising concerns about food security, animal welfare and people’s health due to stolen animals being slaughtered in unhygienic conditions.

In response to regular thefts of sheep in remote areas, such as Dartmoor, NFU Mutual joined forces with Devon and Cornwall Police who have launched a new initiative to enable farmers to protect their livestock from rustling and for locals and countryside visitors to report suspicious activity to local farmers.

The Devon Livestock Initiative was launched as a pilot project in 2021 and trialled by five hill farmers who have all been affected by livestock theft.

They were given gate signs which include the times that stock are normally moved and that ask the public who see sheep being moved outside of these times, to call the farmer or the police. Other measures that have been employed are the use of gate sensors and installation of security cameras.

The initiative is set to be expanded to include more farmers in the area as police explore new ways to keep livestock safe such as using UV markers and microchips hidden in the fleece of sheep.

PC Martin Beck of the Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team, said: “The response to the Devon Livestock Initiative has been fantastic and really highlights the importance of raising awareness of these issues and encouraging our communities to help farmers fight rural crime.

“There are many advances in the technology available to farmers to help them to keep their livestock safe from thieves and we will be exploring and trialling these options through our partnership with NFU Mutual.

“There are hopes in the future it will also be possible to use GPS trackers to trace animals that have been stolen.

Momentum

“We also want to focus on how we can best aid the recovery of those animals that are taken.”

Phoebe Ridley, South West Sales Development Manager for NFU Mutual, said: “Our latest UK claims figures warn that rural theft is quickly gathering momentum as criminals make up for time lost over the past two pandemic years.

“We’re advising rural people to review their security, to help prevent crime and disruption.

“Fortunately, efforts by Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team, working with the farming community, has resulted in crimes being reported, criminals apprehended and stolen property recovered. We’re also seeing positive signs that rustling reduced last year thanks to joint working on the livestock theft initiative.”

Phoebe added: “With prices of essential farm equipment such as tractors and quads rising fast and the cost of diesel soaring over the past year, there’s little doubt that criminals will be trying to steal from farms.

“We also know that essentials of rural living like heating oil tanks will only become more attractive to thieves as costs rise. A recent poll by NFU Mutual reveals that 89% of respondents believe inflation will lead to an increase in rural crime.”