Tool theft is causing millions of dollars in losses in rural Britain, leaving farmers increasingly at risk, with new figures showing the problem remains “significant”.
NFU Mutual estimates that rural crime, from livestock rustling to the theft of vital farm machinery and tools, will cost the UK economy £44.1m in 2024.
A separate study by the insurance company found that nearly two-thirds of contractors had been victims of tool theft in the past 12 months.
The most common incidents include theft from a job site (36%), theft of tools from a vehicle (32%), theft from a vehicle (12%), and theft from a business (11%).
Farms often store expensive equipment in isolated locations, and the impact on rural areas can be severe.
Zoe Knight, head of commercial at NFU Mutual, described tool theft as “an epidemic that continues to cause significant problems and distress to hardworking farmers and tradespeople across the country”.
He warned that many workers were completely dependent on tools and vehicles to earn a living, and said stronger deterrents were needed.
“Strengthening laws against tool theft will help deter theft and tackle this growing problem,” she said.
Police say the problem is particularly acute in rural areas.
Andrew Huddleston, head of the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Building and Agricultural Theft Team, said tool theft remained a “significant problem”, adding that many farmers would have experienced it themselves or would know someone who had.
He said tools are often removed during widespread accidents involving machinery.
“In addition to burglaries, it is not uncommon for quad bikes and tractors to have their tools stolen,” he said, noting that chain saws, drills, grinders and stone cutters are common targets.
Theft of tools can halt critical operations at critical times, such as lamb mining, drilling, and silaging, and cause disruption that far exceeds the immediate economic loss.
While some stolen machinery is recovered each year, tools are rarely recovered.
“While a significant amount of machinery is recalled each year, it is very rare for tools to be recalled,” Huddleston said, pointing to “very poor identification marking by manufacturers, even on expensive tools,” as a key factor.
For the past two years, the National Rural Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s tool theft chief have called on manufacturers and the government to improve marking standards and introduce legislation.
Meanwhile, farmers have been asked to step up security. Huddleston said the basic measures remain an effective deterrent.
“Basic safety measures help. Locks, lights, surveillance cameras and an old farmer’s dog in the yard are still as good a deterrent as they ever were,” he says.
He advised farmers to buy machinery that is secure by design, avoid universal keys, consider tracking technology and use recognized marking systems such as the CESAR system.
But he stressed that community vigilance is often the most powerful defense.
“The biggest impact you can make is to participate in your local rural surveillance program,” he said, adding that such efforts “have been proven time and time again to make the area where you live more hostile to criminals.”
Without stronger identification standards and stronger deterrents, tool theft is likely to remain an ongoing threat to farms and rural businesses, rural crime experts have warned.
