Livestock rustling is believed to be on the increase once again as sheep farmers are benefitting from better returns. Rural insurer NFU Mutual issued a warning over the Christmas period and police forces in North West England have said they expect livestock theft to increase over the coming months.

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Police and NFU Mutual both said that farmers should remain vigilant as the increasing value of all varieties of sheep will make them an attractive target for rustlers in 2012. Police urged farmers to keep sheep in fields away from roadsides and vary feeding times from day to day in order to deter would-be thieves. Farmers should also ensure all sheep are marked and gates are padlocked and consider joining a FarmWatch scheme.

NFU Mutual said livestock rustling claims had more than doubled between 2010 and 2011. A spokesperson for the insurers said that estimates could put the rise in livestock theft even higher. Around 60,000 sheep were stolen across the UK last year. It is believed that, once sheep have been stolen, by organised gangs with livestock experience, they are quickly slaughtered and their meat is sold into the food chain.

It is estimated that livestock theft costs farmers around £6 million a year in the UK. In Lancashire, the worst hit region last year, police have been carrying out spot checks on livestock lorries to ensure drivers can prove ownership of the animals they are carrying.

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