Rural crime in Herefordshire cost over £1.1 million, as thieves have become more “determined”, NFU mutual has warned.

In its annual rural crime report, NFU mutual published today (August 1) revealed that the counties cost of rural crime covering 2023 remained high, however the cost to the county has fallen from a previous high of £1.6m in 2022.

The report showed that across the UK rural crime rose above £50m a slight rise from the previous report’s estimation of £49.5m.

The prominent insurer currently works in unison with the National Rural Crime Unit, in a desperate bid to share information and catch criminals, with a hope to decrease rural crime throughout the UK.

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The mutual insurer has provided over £1m to initiatives into tackling rural crime in the UK since 2021, with a specialist team helping to identify patterns and identifying high-risk areas around the country.

One of the most shocking revelations was that items at high risk of theft have been identified as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have caused the claims of NFU Mutual to increase by a staggering 137 per cent to an estimated cost of £4.2m.

The advanced equipment is often a highly sought-after item by thieves, with it typically costing over £10,000 per unit. The equipment is vital to farmers' daily tasks, without it, they can face major delays to their work harvesting and cultivating.

Livestock theft across the UK remained high in 2023, costing an estimated £2.7m, with a disturbing rise in incidents of butchered farm animals. This follows the estimated cost of farm animals who were severely injured or killed in dog attacks was revealed to have risen by nearly 30 per cent compared to 2022.

The NFU also suggested that a rise in inflation in 2023 likely caused farming equipment becoming an increasingly common target for organised gangs which meant each theft cost more than previous years. However, it was noted in the report that there had been a reduction of the number of agricultural vehicles thefts.

Matthew Price, a senior agent at NFU Mutual in Ross-on-Wye said: “Although we’ve seen the cost of rural crime remain at a similar level in Herefordshire, all the indications suggest rural crime is becoming more organised, sophisticated and determined in its nature, which is incredibly alarming for people who live and work in the countryside.

“While the overall cost of agricultural vehicle theft fell thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of key stakeholders, it is concerning to see the value of GPS and ATV thefts continue to rise, with thieves turning to technology to scope out locations.

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“Intelligence highlights these criminals often target several farms in one night before moving locations, then return weeks later looking to steal any replacements.

“As the leading rural insurer, we know the impact of rural crime goes well beyond the practicalities of farming. It’s the unnerving feeling that criminals have boldly staked out and targeted farmyards and fields, often a few feet from the family home. It’s also living in fear of repeat attacks, knowing that thieves are always looking for new ways to target rural communities.

“We will also continue to support farmers directly to help protect their livelihoods, offer expertise as the main insurer of farmers and provide advice to tackle rural crime.” He added.