A John Deere Gator farm vehicle worth thousands of pounds and a selection of power tools have been stolen after a break-in at a fishing complex in Suffolk.
Suffolk Police have said that the break in occurred sometime between Sunday, January 24, at 6:00pm and 8:00am on Monday, January 25, at Barham Lakes.
Thieves broke into two shipping containers where the Gator was stored and stole it along with a selection of power tools.
The Gator vehicle is commonly used by farmers and this particular one had the index number WA13FKG.
Anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity or knows the whereabouts of the vehicle or power tools should contact Suffolk Police, quoting crime reference 37/3932/21.
Rural crime figures
NFU Mutual’s theft claim figures reveal that rural crime cost the UK £54.3 million in 2019.
This is an increase of nearly 9% on the previous year, making it the highest cost recorded in eight years.
For the second year running, the sharp rise was driven by thefts of high-value tractors, quad bikes and other farm vehicles.
Livestock theft also increased in 2019, with organised gangs taking large numbers of sheep, which are thought to be entering the food chain illegally.
Rebecca Davidson of NFU Mutual said: “The Covid-19 lockdown resulted in an initial reduction in thefts overall.
But keen to cash in on the crisis, criminals continued to target the countryside and there were spikes in crimes such as livestock rustling.
“With farmers’ minds focused on finding new ways to work safely while keeping the nation fed, the cost of livestock theft rose by nearly 15% year on year in April 2020 as rustlers took advantage of the high demand for food.”
