Marking kits dramatically cut farm thefts

A rural area which was previously “hammered” by quad bike and machinery thefts has seen a dramatic reduction in crime since farmers started trialling property marking kits.

Warning signs and SelectaDNA kits – which contain forensic liquid with a DNA code which enables police to identify property suspected of being stolen –were supplied to more than 60 farms in South Lanarkshire by rural insurer NFU Mutual as part of its support for the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC).

Police report that no new thefts have been reported on the farms which had previously been the victims of theft.