Following two years of decreasing rural theft during the pandemic, the start of 2022 has seen a rise in rural crime in the UK as the cost-of-living crisis hits the countryside.
Initial indications from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual reveal the first quarter of 2022 has seen thieves making up for lost time, with UK costs over 40% higher than the same period last year.
The cost of rural theft in Wales was an estimated £1.3m last year, with thieves targeting fuel, livestock and kit.
High-value thefts
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 UK cost of claims shooting up by 87% to £2.6m.
And although NFU Mutual saw the cost of stolen quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) fall 11% to £2.2m in 2021, almost half of those thefts took place from September to December. As shipping delays and the effects of Covid-19 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.
The number of fuel theft claims received by NFU Mutual fell from 2020 to 2021, but with record high prices for diesel and heating oil, NFU Mutual claims data from the first half of this year indicates the frequency and cost of fuel theft claims have more than doubled compared to the same period in 2021. In a new poll of the rural community by NFU Mutual, almost half of respondents (49%) said that fuel theft was now their greatest crime concern.
No room for complacency
Owen Suckley, NFU Mutual Manager for Wales, said: “We’re encouraged by the fall in the cost of rural crime in Wales last year and the dedicated work of police rural crime teams.
“However, we cannot be complacent and 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.
“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.”
Rob Taylor QPM, Wales Rural & Wildlife Crime Coordinator, said: “In Wales we are highly aware of the impact of rural crime on our farming communities and it is encouraging to see a drop in statistics yet again, although we remain vigilant and we must continue to be proactive to provide reassurance to our farmers. Our rural crime officers in Wales are having a significant impact on criminal activity and our new Welsh Government sponsored coordinator role is ensuring that we work collectively and smarter to deny criminals the freedom of our countryside.”
Our 2022 #RuralCrimeReport and claim statistics show that rural theft cost the UK an estimated £40.5m in 2021, a 9.3% decrease on the previous year. Read more about how thieves have continued to target rural communities and how to beat rural crime below 👇https://t.co/jrUGhKDcnI pic.twitter.com/mMDMNdbJuj
— NFU Mutual (@nfum) August 2, 2022
Owen Suckley added: “Crime in the countryside causes high levels of anxiety and disruption, with many farmers and rural homeowners feeling vulnerable due to their isolated location.
“NFU Mutual is responding by helping those living and working in rural areas to put in place effective security measures and by continuing to provide major support to tackle crime.”
Investment in rural crime initiatives
Last year, NFU Mutual invested £430,000 in rural crime initiatives. This includes support for an agricultural vehicle theft unit at the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) which recovered stolen vehicles and farm machinery worth £2.6m last year. The unit delivers intelligence, training, and works directly with police forces across the country to combat rural crime, in addition to joint international operations to seize stolen machinery from overseas.
New advice on protecting rural property to avoid becoming a victim of rural crime is being made available to country people in NFU Mutual’s 2022 Rural Crime report and the insurer’s latest advice videos.
Owen added: “As each farm or home is different, every property needs a different approach to keeping thieves out - and there’s an armoury of measures to help do so, from traditional fortification, to technology using movement sensors, to community information networks.”
