Rural crime in the South East followed the trend across the UK and increased to an 8 year high. In the South East the cost of crime was up 0.6% to £8.6 million. Nationwide the estimated cost was £53.4 million.
Not surprisingly the rise in crime is being linked to organised crime with agricultural machinery, tools and even livestock becoming a common target.
High value machinery including ATV’s, tractors and quad bikes are being stolen to order with many ending up in Europe. This year 5 high value vehicles stolen in the South East were recovered in Poland. Smaller items such as GPS systems are also now being stolen. Their small size and high value prove very attractive.
The cost to the UK of livestock theft was also up 9% to an estimated £3.0 million. Organised criminals are stealing the animals and selling them on, eventually entering the food chain. Many in the industry believe fast food restaurants are taking advantage of the untraced food as a cheaper alternative, with gangs under cutting wholesalers.
It’s not just farms that are the target. Machinery is often stolen to attack local village post offices and ATM’s. Country homes are also at high risk due to their remote locations.
Abbey Gate is committed to helping increase awareness and security in rural areas. We have a dedicated countryside key cutting service available in West Berkshire between Newbury and Reading. This service has now been extended to cover South Oxfordshire (Between Woodcote and Reading) and between Maidenhead and Reading. We can offer a range of security engineering solutions to make it harder for criminals, for example bespoke ground anchors and bollards. The importance of using the correct locks should also not be over looked.