'Organised' rural crime costs industry £1m as livestock and equipment thefts soar

Organised gangs are fuelling a surge in rural crime in the North East as livestock and equipment thefts soar, farmers warn.

The increase in incidents is estimated to be costing the agricultural sector around £1m, according to figures from the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Those in the industry have joined forces with Police Scotland as part of National Rural Crime Week and are urging more people to report incidents.

It comes after 30 ewes and 60 lambs worth an estimated £20,000 were stolen from a farm in Blackford in Perthshire.

‘It’s becoming more organised’

David Greer from NFU Scotland said: “It’s becoming more organised, and we now need to become more organised, I would encourage everyone to report crimes.

“It can be a pain, but the police do have systems that allow you to ask for a call back. If we can show them that this is an issue, it helps make the case for more rural officers.”

The latest figures from insurance brokers NFU Mutual suggest livestock thefts have risen, the majority being sheep and lambs, and trailer theft has also increased.

‘It takes a toll on your mental health’

Aberdeenshire farmer Sandy Tulloch knows the cost of having equipment stolen – and has added his voice to the campaign.

He had a trailer stolen along with a quad bike a year ago, which was traced to Durham 12 hours later.

“You could keep things in a compound – but these guys are professionals. If they want to get in, they will.

“The sad thing is they’re not nice people, so if you do catch them in the act you’re best to leave them alone.

“Our kit is insured yes, but you never get as much for salvage as you need to buy a new one.

“There’s a huge financial cost of course – but it takes a toll on your mental health too.”

‘We investigate every incident’

Chief Inspector George Nixon has stressed the importance of reporting rural crime to help tackle rising incidents STV News

Police say they will act on reports.

Chief inspector George Nixon wants to assure farmers that the force is there to help.

He said: “As well as prevention, we do monitor trends. Although you may think your crime is isolated, it may tie into wider crimes, particularly where there is travelling criminals.

“We do investigate everything, and we do take rural crime seriously.”

This summer, reports of hare coursing have also risen – a wildlife crime which involves dogs hunting for the animals and often involves betting.

This year’s early harvest has helped to drive the increase, with areas like Inverurie and Stonehaven seeing more incidents than usual.

David Greer added: “The fields have been cleared early, so the season for it has started early.

“The people who do this are dangerous, so we don’t want people to approach them, but to report the crime.

“The police are urging farmers and the public to report crimes and suspicious activity, warning if they don’t know about it, they can’t help.”