“All farmers want is to run their business and produce the nation’s food, without the threat of violence, property damage and the huge costs that all too often come with rural crime,” said NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos, responding to the news that the government plans to step up its approach to tackling rural crime.
The government has said the funding to the National Rural Crime Unit will be used to increase collaboration across police forces and harness the latest technology and data to target the serious organised crime groups involved in crimes like equipment theft from farms.
New measures in the government's Crime and Policing Bill will also see statutory guidance issued to local authorities to support them to make full and proper use of their fly-tipping enforcement powers and warrantless powers of entry for police to enter premises identified by electronic mapping.
The government has said this will help with tackling stolen equipment and machinery from farms and agricultural businesses.
Tackling GPS theft
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos welcomed the increased funding in addition to the “positive reaffirmation” that secondary legislation for the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 is due to be introduced later this year.
This has been a key focus for the NFU after working together with Greg Smith MP and a number of other organisations on the Bill.
While the Act currently covers ATVs and quad bikes, there is a pressing need to extend the measures to include GPS units, which have increasingly become frequent targets for theft.
“All farmers want is to run their business and produce the nation’s food, without the threat of violence, property damage and the huge costs that all too often come with rural crime.”
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos
NFU Mutual’s latest rural crime report found that GPS unit thefts rose by a staggering 137% to an estimated £4.2m in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Introducing a mandatory register for ATVs and other high-value equipment, alongside defined standards for immobilisers, forensic marking and tracking technologies to support stolen machinery recovery, would be crucial steps toward deterring organised crime gangs targeting farming businesses.
More to be done
“However, there is still more to be done,” Rachel warned.
“We continue to press government to prioritise livestock worrying legislation as we are still seeing severe dog attacks across the country, particularly at this time of year when newly born lambs are out in fields.”
A private members’ bill from Aphra Brandreth, Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury, passed its second reading in the House of Commons unopposed and progressed to the Committee Stage.
If passed, the bill would give police greater powers to crack down on irresponsible dog owners whose pets attack livestock.
“We also await more detail on how local authorities will be empowered to deal with fly-tipping, which remains a significant and costly blight on our countryside,” Rachel added.
The latest government report revealed that fly-tipping cases rose by 6%, from 1.08 million in 2022/23 to 1.15 million in 2023/24, indicating a growing challenge with managing fly-tipping, particularly concerning household waste, with these incidents climbing by 5%.
Minister for Crime and Policing Dame Diana Johnson said: "Too often victims of crime in rural communities have been left feeling undervalued and isolated, whether it be famers having equipment or livestock stolen, or villages targeted by car thieves and county lines gangs."
The Minister said the new funding "will help deliver the change rural communities deserve".
The NFU met with the Minister last month as part of a policing roundtable to discuss strategies to tackle the unique challenges rural crime presents.
