RURAL crime cost Cumbria 700,000 last year – up five per cent on 2014 – with quad bikes, livestock and farm tools top of the thieves’ wish-list. The figures form part of NFU Mutual s annual Rural Crime Report revealing that the cost of rural crime to the UK economy has now reached 42.5 million a year. Amanda Wallbank, NFU Mutual Senior Agent in Cumbria, said: It is disappointing to see the cost of rural crime rising in Cumbria.
Rural thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated and using computers rather than bolt cutters to steal from farms and country properties.
Farmers and police have been working hard to adopt high-tech security measures to tackle the problems which now include: cloning tractor identities, advertising non-existent machinery in agricultural publications and stealing the GPS computer systems which are a key part of modern farming. There has been a shift in the items being targeted at rural homes as well; in the latest survey of NFU Mutual s agency network, the theft of garden equipment was sited as the biggest growing trend along with 4×4 s. The majority of NFU Mutual Agent s surveyed (65%) also reported that thieves in their area are becoming more sophisticated in the way that they operate and cyber crime is also a growing concern amongst their communities.
The survey also revealed that social media is now the main resource for sharing information about crime in rural communities and is a valuable tool not only in the prevention of rural crime but also for catching criminals and returning stolen goods.
Our advice to people living and working in the countryside remains the same; evaluate your current security measures making improvements where necessary, remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the local police but also community watch schemes,” concluded Amanda.
For more information and advice on how to beat rural crime in your area visit www.nfumutual.co.uk/ruralcrime