‘Sitting duck’ farmers will be protected from crime rings

Big demand for farmers’ machinery in Europe - which has seen organised criminals target the town’s farms before evading the police - will be treated as a priority by rural crime officers.

According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), 2020 and 2021 saw a reduction in thefts - a decrease attributed to long spells of Covid-19 lockdowns before incidents started to climb last year.

High-value machinery such as quads, tractors, horse boxes and agricultural machinery have all been stolen from local farms, while reports of poaching, fly-tipping and fuel theft have also been recorded by South Yorkshire Police.

However, following meetings with farmers in areas such as Cubley and Penistone, more patrols have been carried out by the force’s rural crime unit to allay farmers’ fears over costly thefts.