Quad bikes and ATVS continue to be targeted by thieves this autumn, new data from NFU Mutual and the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) reveals.
Intelligence shows that the east and south-east of England in particular saw spikes in ATVs being stolen last month, but there are concerns thieves may travel the length and breadth of the country to scope out and steal these valuable and highly-desired vehicles.
In 2023, quad bike and ATV theft reported to NFU Mutual cost an estimated £3.2 million, up 9% compared to the previous year, and NFU Mutual and the NRCU are concerned a recent spike in thefts could affect farmers this autumn.
Quad bikes
NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist, Hannah Binns said: “It is worrying to see quad bike and ATV thefts hitting farmers in the past month, with spikes in the East and South East of England already.
“The very nature of farmland makes these vehicles essential to farmers’ ability to get around their fields and effectively complete work, making a theft highly disruptive.
“Being from a family farm, I know the toll rural crime has on those who live and work in the countryside. It’s not just the unnerving feeling that criminals have staked out and targeted the farmyard, often where the family home is too, but the worry that the thieves will return in the weeks that follow.”
Superintendent Andrew Huddleston, who leads the National Rural Crime Unit, said:
“Alongside NFU Mutual and police figures indicating a rise in quad bike thefts, we’re moving into earlier dark nights that make it easier to steal ATVs from farms.
“High demand linked with common poor security on ATVs continues to make these a highly desirable machine for thieves.
“While there has been some recent success with several arrests in relation to ATV thefts in the North of England I would ask farmers across the UK to remain vigilant, check security lights and cameras are working as well as keep gates closed – these are simple but we know effective measures.”
