Police warn Land Rover owners as thieves target Defender vehicles in Surrey
Date of alert:
Sunday, 3 April 2022
Crime Ref:
Force:
Surrey Police
Police have issued a warning to Land Rover owners in Surrey as they say thieves are likely to target Defenders. The four-wheel drive vehicles are reportedly 'highly desirable' to thieves.
The warning came on Sunday (April 3) morning from the Mole Valley Beat Twitter account for Surrey Police. They highlighted rural crime, including theft of livestock and machinery.
"Land Rover Defenders remain highly desirable to thieves. Trackers, alarms and storing vehicles out of sight help deter thieves from stealing these British icons," the tweet read.
According to data from NFU Mutual, Land Rover Defenders insured by them were stolen in 2019 at a claims cost of £2.1m. However, they said, while at least four Defender thefts a week were being reported in January 2020, numbers fell from March to June.
It's all part of a wider issue, NFU Mutual reports: "There has been a significant increase in the number of cases of expensive tractor thefts 'to order' in recent years. In fact, machinery theft is reported to be costing the industry in the region of £40 million, with quad bikes, power tools and 4×4 vehicles all stolen in larger numbers by what is thought to be planned thefts.
