Security firm Precreate Solutions have launched a specialist farm protection team following a huge increase in the problem of theft and illegal encampment on farms in the south east in particular.

The Chelmsford based security experts now have designated teams to patrol farm properties for large landowners and for small-holding associations. They are experts in preventing theft of machinery and also they are specialists at legally evicting squatters and travellers if they are already on site.

Precreate Solutions are investing over £1m into the new Farms and Rural Protection department with the majority of the resources going on equipping mobile response teams to patrol areas targeted by criminals and travellers. They already have five new mobile response teams in place with another 10 to come by the end of the year. They are all equipped with state of the art communications and the guards will receive special training in how to deal with, and prevent thefts from farms and trespassers.

Precreate Solutions director Gary Jackson said: “Theft of farm machinery and traveller encampments have become a major problem for many farmers and the costs for them in terms of lost time and eviction costs can be huge. As with many things prevention is better than cure and our presence on sites and expertise in securing properties is a hugely effective deterrent. But also we have a great deal of experience in evicting existing illegal encampments quickly and legally, and making sure that they don’t return.”

The firm have already had huge success in guarding farms in Essex and Kent following a spate of thefts of tractors and other machinery that was being stolen and shipped to Eastern Europe.

The situation has reached epidemic proportions across parts of Kent and Essex and the security firm has already had a deterrent effect for the farms that have hired them.

Gary Jackson said: “We secure one area for all machinery and tractors on the site and put in movement sensors and alarms. The site will have high visibility alarms and signage so criminals will know the site is monitored and then we have 24-hour mobile patrols that can get to an alarm within an hour, and often within 30 mins.”

And also with the summer approaching it’s not just theft that is the problem facing land-owners, many are worried about travellers encampments on their land and have employed Precreate to deal with the issue.

Last year, Precreate dealt with several illegal traveller encampments, including one right next door to Rolex’s new UK HQ in West Malling, Kent. In that specific case the firm successfully got all 20 caravans off the site within a few days.

Gary Jackson said: “We are expecting the in-flux of illegal traveller encampments in Kent and Essex to start from now onwards and throughout the summer.

‘Often our presence on site is enough to make them move on a look at easier pickings but also we have a proven track record at getting rid of illegal and unwanted encampments.”