Fall in rural thefts despite crime gangs stealing hi-tech farm equipment

Sophisticated organised criminals have targeted Norfolk farms to steal valuable GPS systems from tractors and combine harvesters.

The cost of rural thefts fell by 20.5pc during 2020, says insurer NFU Mutual - but high-value GPS systems on tractors and combine harvesters remain a target (Image: Chris Hill)

While there were only 30 thefts of large pieces of agricultural equipment between January 2020 and 2021, many included expensive technology that can cost up to £14,000.

Assistant chief constable Nick Davison told a public accountability meeting held by Norfolk police and crime commissioner (PCC): “While this is significant and they are very expensive units, and it is growing, it's a very complicated issue involving organised crime groups and most of the units end up in Europe on the second hand market.

“It’s not easy to tackle but we are working hard around prevention.”

Police launched Operation Huff to secure forensic evidence and offer better crime prevention in response to a spate of thefts at six farms during harvest last August.

Mr Davison said the high value thefts came against a backdrop of otherwise falling rural crimes across the county.

Police have dealt with 27 lead thefts, 10 fuel thefts and nine stolen outboard motors in the 12 months up to this month.

“Clearly everyone of those is significant to the victim and I won’t want to undermine that, but in the wider totality of policing and how large our rural communities are in Norfolk, the level of crime in those figures gives you some sort of context,” he added.

A National Farmers' Union (NFU) report, based on insurance claims, found the cost of rural crime in Norfolk has fallen by 17pc compared to previous years.

Cambridgeshire Police Chief Constable Nick Dean - pictured here making an arrest - spent a day on the frontline and joined the fight against Fenland rural crime on Thursday, October 11. Picture: Supplied/Cambs Cops (Image: Supplied/Cambs Cops)

Notable successes have included the prosecution of a couple for digging up 8,000 bluebells at Thursford and a big fall in reports of hare coursing.

Operation Galileo targeting gangs through shared intelligence and using tactics including drones and night vision goggles has halved reports.

Mr Davison said: “We continue to deal with that as robustly as we can and at the moment we have achieved about a 50pc in hare coursing in 2021 when you compare that to the previous season.

“We are really pleased with that because we know that it is something that is seen as a particular issue for our rural communities.”