Rural communities across South Holland are being warned about the sudden rise in countryside crime.
A report published by NFU Mutual has revealed that Lincolnshire is the worst county in the United Kingdom for rural crime.
And the leading rural insurer believes those residents in South Holland with machinery, oil, diesel and quad bikes on their properties need to be especially vigilant as these items top the thieves’ wish list.
Sue Green, NFU Mutual senior agent in Lincolnshire, said: “Rural thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated and using computers rather than bolt cutters to steal from farms and country properties.
“Farmers and police have been working hard to adopt high-tech security measures to tackle the problems.
“These problems include cloning tractor identities, advertising non-existent machinery in agricultural publications and stealing the GPS computer systems which are a key part of modern farming.”
The report also revealed that there has been a shift in the items being targeted at rural homes as well with the theft of garden equipment being sited as the biggest growing trend along with 4x4s.
The majority of NFU Mutual agents surveyed (65 per cent) also reported that thieves in their area are becoming more sophisticated in the way that they operate.
Cyber crime is also a growing concern among their communities.
The survey also revealed that social media is now the main resource for sharing information about crime in rural communities and is a valuable tool.
This is not only in the prevention of rural crime but also for catching criminals and returning stolen goods.
Sue added: “Our advice to people living and working in the countryside remains the same.
“You should evaluate your current security measures and make any improvements where necessary.
“We ask everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the local police as well as any community watch schemes.”
The report stated that rural crime costs Lincolnshire £2.2m in 2015, up 19 per cent from £1.8m in 2014 – despite remaining broadly static at a national level.
The figures form part of NFU Mutual’s annual Rural Crime report which revealed that the cost of rural crime to the UK economy has now reached £42.5million in a year.
