New crime trend sweeping the countryside as farm pick up trucks become latest target for thieves

Rural insurer, NFU Mutual, is alerting farmers to the new rural crime wave and advising them to fit additional security measures to their pick-ups – even on battered 10-year-old models.

Theft claims dealt with so far this year by NFU Mutual show that older Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200 are the most regularly targeted pick-up models. The average age of L200s stolen so far in 2022 was 12 years, and 10 years for Hilux vehicles.

Thieves have also been targeting the upmarket VW Amarok while thefts of recent model Range Rovers have soared by more than 50 per cent a month compared with 2021.

Rural thieves are continuing to steal large numbers of Land Rover Defenders and their parts. NFU Mutual claim figures for the first nine months of 2022 show they remain at the top of the chart for stolen 4 x 4 farm vehicles.

Bob Henderson, agricultural engineering specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “This is alarming news for the large number of farmers who use pick-up trucks as their workhorse vehicle to carry feed and tools around the farm and tow livestock trailers to market.

“For years thieves have targeted Defenders and older Land Rovers because of their high value and potential for resale as vehicles or parts. With prices of new and used replacement pick-ups rising fast thieves are now finding it worthwhile stealing pick-ups – even if they are over 10-years-old and battered from hard work on farms.”

It is also thought that the vehicles once stolen are being used for poaching, hare-coursing and other types of criminality – especially as some of the older ones are not fitted with the same security measures that come with newer vehicles.

DC Chris Piggott, who leads the agricultural vehicle theft unit at the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), said: “As well as being stolen for onward sale and financial gain, these vehicles are also being targeted by hare coursers with links to other forms of criminality.

“Many of these vehicles aren’t fitted with the immobilisers, trackers and alarms fitted to newer vehicles. Until now, this hasn’t been as much of a problem, but now that pick-ups are proving desirable to criminals, there’s an urgent need for farmers to improve security.

“It’s absolutely essential to ensure keys are always removed and doors locked whenever you leave the vehicle. Keeping vehicles out of sight where possible and using mechanical devices like steering and pedal locks are also an effective deterrent for older models. Retrofitting alarms, immobilisers and tracking devices is also well worth considering.”

It comes amid fears that inflation and cost of living pressures will lead to increases in rural crime.

A recent poll by NFU Mutual reveals that 89 per cent of respondents believe rising inflation will lead to an increase in rural crime.

Last year NFU Mutual invested £430,000 in rural crime initiatives. This includes support for an agricultural vehicle theft unit at the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) which recovered stolen vehicles and farm machinery worth £2.6m last year. The unit delivers intelligence, training, and works directly with police forces across the country to combat rural crime, in addition to joint international operations to seize stolen machinery from overseas.