Farm thieves target quads instead of sheep!

 

And this came despite NFU Mutual saying Wales had seen a reduction in crime on farms of 48% since 2009.

 

While sheep rustling used to be a major headache for local farmers, it has now been surpassed by thieves targeting tools, quad bikes and oil or diesel as their items of choice.

 

The survey showed concern that the countryside was difficult to police, with farmers still having a lax attitude to security.

 

The NFU Mutual Rural Crime Survey is based on claims handled by the company's branch offices throughout the UK during 2010.

 

When asked about the factors fuelling rural crime, 41% of branches said it was due to sparse areas being difficult to police, with 32% claiming there was less chance of thieves being seen.

23% of branches believed that a relaxed attitude to security was also a factor.

 

Meanwhile, farms close to the motorway network were more vulnerable to high value tractor thefts, with Montgomeryshire in particular suffering a spate of quad bike thefts over the past 12 months.

 

North Wales: 1 Quadbikes, 2 Tools, 3 Oil and diesel

South Wales: 1 Tools, 2 Quadbikes, 3 Oil and diesel