Farmers and landowners in Northamptonshire are being reminded to mark their property as the county has already received eight reports of farm theft since the start of January.
The eight reports that Northamptonshire Police’s Rural Crime Team have received relate to sheep farming equipment, with sheep hurdles, sheep handling systems, weigh scales, sheering machines, guillotine gates and sheep feeders being targeted.
Investigations into these offences are in process and where relevant, neighbouring forces are helping to recover stolen property and return it to its owners.
Northamptonshire Police rural crime officer, PC Chloe Gillies, said: “We work very closely with our colleagues from neighbouring forces, both sharing information and intelligence, to locate and recover property which has been stolen from Northamptonshire or across the county borders.”
A key prevention measure against equipment theft, PC Gillies said, is “clearly and permanently marking your possessions, ideally with your surname and postcode”.
“This makes them less attractive to criminals as well as making it more likely that they can be returned to you if they are stolen,” she said.
“Keeping a detailed, up-to-date list of all your equipment is also really important, so for a handling system this would include noting the brand and component parts, such as number of hurdles, sizes, whether it includes guillotine gates, turnover crates, and so on.
“The best approach is to build up layers of protection for your premises and items – don’t rely on one element alone but use several to make it an unappealing target for a would-be thief but if you do know where such items are being advertised for sale, please let us know,” she added.
According to Northamptonshire Police, stolen equipment is usually moved out of the country quickly and then often sold at an auction. Because of this, the force is also urging buyers to play their part and report anything suspicious.
