Sussex Police rural crime team have reported that two men have been arrested for three rural burglaries in Sussex.
The burglaries occurred in the Lewes and Mid Sussex areas.
The men were arrested in connection with the burglaries as well as for having an “offensive weapon” following a vehicle stop by special enforcement unit (SEU) officers.
Quad bike theft
Last week, Sussex Police rural crime team reported that a man had been convicted of theft of a quadbike.
Ernie Jones of Lingfield, Surrey, was convicted of the theft from Hailsham in December of 2022.
As a result, he has received:
- 135 hours of unpaid work;
- Community order;
- Rehab requirement;
- £424 in fines and costs.
In August, rural insurer, NFU Mutual released rural crime statistics that revealed quad and ATV theft had risen by 34% in 2022.
Agricultural vehicle theft rose by 29% and livestock theft rose by 8.7% in 2022 compared to the year before.
NFU Mutual said it received quad and ATV theft reports worth £3 million last year. The cost of agricultural vehicle theft rose to £11.7 million and the cost of livestock theft now stands at £2.7 million.
Wales saw the biggest increase in the cost of rural theft, rising to £2.3 million in 2022, up from £1.3 million in 2021, a rise of 72.8%.
