'Agri-crime' cost rockets as thieves target countryside

• Theft to UK agriculture is estimated to have cost £49.7 million in 2010

• Tractor theft claims costs have increased 64% in two years

• Livestock rustling re-emerges as austerity measures bite

• Crooks most likely to strike after midnight

Criminals are systematically targeting Britain's farms with the costs of tractor, livestock and oil thefts rising sharply, warns NFU Mutual.

New figures from the UK's leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, reveals that the cost of theft from UK farms is estimated to have risen to £49.7 million in 2010 – an increase of 17% from the previous year.  Two thirds (62%) of the insurer's branches have reported an increase in rural crime in their area.

The NFU Mutual Rural Crime Survey is based on the 2010 claims experience of 272 of its network of more than 320 branch offices located in rural towns and villages. Unlike some crime reports, NFU Mutual's survey includes claims for crimes against homes, farms, commercial premises and vehicles.

Tractor thefts remain a major problem for farmers, with a significant increase in the number of tractors being stolen and exported from channel ports to final destinations across the globe. The number of tractor theft claims dealt with by NFU Mutual rose by 8% in 2010 while the cost of claims rose 21% reflecting the trend for thieves to target expensive tractors.

As a mutual organisation with a vested interest in the farming community, NFU Mutual is committed to cutting claims costs where possible. To combat the problem of tractor thefts the company has been sponsoring a police unit to coordinate national and international operations to catch thieves.

NFU Mutual is also encouraging farmers to do their bit by improving tractor security through offering premium discounts of up to 27.5% to policyholders who fit approved security measures, including CESAR registration, immobilisers and tracker devices.

The Crime Survey also revealed that livestock rustling is also on the rise. During the first six months of 2011, 142 rustling claims were reported to NFU Mutual – compared with 156 in the whole of 2010. North-East England was the worst affected area in 2010, followed by Northern Ireland, North-West England and the Midlands.

NFU Mutual has seen a dramatic increase in claims for farm diesel and domestic heating oil since the cost of oil surged at the end of 2010. Following price increases, claims for stolen heating oil rocketed 264% in January 2011.

The survey also highlighted an increased demand for high-priced items that are portable and easy to sell on. The theft of power tools such as chainsaws, electric drills and lawnmowers has topped the "most stolen" list, although the NFU Mutual Crime Map shows different priorities across the country.

59% of NFU Mutual branches believe that the most common time of day for thieves to act is during the night (midnight – 6am).

When asked about the main reason thieves target the countryside, 41% of NFU Mutual branches said the fact it was such a sparse area made it difficult to police, with 32% claiming there was less chance of thieves being seen. 23% thought relaxed attitudes towards to security measures could also be a factor.

"Whether it's the recession, tighter security in towns, or the rise in oil, meat and scrap metal prices countryside people are feeling the blight of rural crime on their land," said Lindsay Sinclair, NFU Mutual Chief Executive.

Sinclair continued: "Country people are not taking this scourge lying down. Across the country new rural security initiatives are springing up involving rural communities and insurers such as NFU Mutual.

"We've already seen that by working with the police forces and manufacturers, tractor theft and organised rural crime can be tackled head-on. A united front against crime in the countryside will help to protect communities from being targeted further with vigilance as the watchword."

NFU Mutual Rural Crime Survey

NFU mutual surveyed its agents in rural towns and villages across the UK to ascertain whether, based on each agency's claims experience, rural crime in the UK increased, decreased or remained at a similar level to 2009. Agents were asked to base their answers on actual claims data rather than their 'perception' of rural crime levels within their individual territories.

Customer Case Studies

NFU Mutual has a comprehensive range of customer case studies available to support its 2011 Rural Crime Survey.

Top 10 Most Stolen Items List – National

1. Tools and power tools
2. Quad bikes
3. Oil/Diesel
4. Tractors
5. Metal
6. Machinery
7. Trailers
8. Vehicles (including Land Rovers)
9. Personal items
10. Livestock

Rural Crime Claims Initiative

Plant theft has long been recognised by criminals as a low-risk, high-gain exercise. Since 2008, NFU Mutual has seen an increase of 14% in the number of stolen tractors. However, the cost of these thefts has rocketed by 64%.

To tackle the problem NFU Mutual has funded a dedicated Detective Constable to work fulltime in its claims team, focusing on the disruption and detection of criminal activity to aid the recovery to stolen vehicles. The insurer shares claims data with the Police to identify trends and has even used sting vehicles to catch criminals.

NFU Mutual has passed on savings to policyholders by offering discounts of up to 27.5% for tractors fitted with approved security devices.