The Teddington-based founder of a company which produces vehicle tracking devices is helping to lead the fight to combat a massive crime wave sweeping across the British countryside and costing farmers thousands of pounds.

Meta Trak, one of the leading providers of vehicle tracking solutions, has recognised a significant increase in the demand for tracking devices for tractors and other farm equipment like quad bikes from farmers in rural areas all over the country.

Chairman, Robert Drake, who lives in Teddington, told Nub News: "The theft of farming equipment has become big business for organised gangs all over the country. It seems a growing problem for farmers because tractors and quad bikes and even fitted GPS systems can be moved on very quickly."

Figures from NFU Mutual estimate that figures for 2020 will be way ahead of the record £54.3 cost to the UK in 2019 with the sharp rise caused by thefts of high value tractors, quad bikes and other farm vehicles.

In Scotland, 130 vehicles worth over £400.000 were returned to their rightful owners in the first four months of the year and the police are concerned at the sophistication of rural following the theft of 24 tractor GPS kits worth £134.000 from West Sussex farms in one week.

Rebecca Davidson, NFU Mutual Rural Affairs Specialist, said: "Theft of tractor GPS equipment is now a serious problem for farmers.

"We first saw thieves targeting GPS equipment from arable farms in East Anglia and the crime has now spread to other parts of the country. Thieves appear to be targeting farms in one locality, and then moving their activity to another area to avoid detection.

"Typically costing £8,000 to £10,000, GPS equipment has become a highly-prized item on the shopping lists of rural thieves, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown where smaller, high-value items appear to have been targeted to meet demand overseas.

"Some tractors now incorporate GPS kit in the cab dashboard. We had hoped that this development would deter thieves – but we are now getting claims reported where thieves have smashed dashboards to remove GPS equipment, causing damage costing thousands of pounds to repair as well as the loss of the GPS unit.

"This trend is deeply worrying for farmers who are investing in hi-tech equipment to make their farms more efficient and reduce pollution."

The company's Thatcham-approved S5 solution allows any vehicle to be tracked 24/7 and in the event of a theft a professional theft management service will work closely with the police to help locate the machinery. To meet demand, they now have Pulsar, a battery-powered Thatcham-approved tracking device which is ideal where there is no power source, such as balers and trailers.

Rebecca Davidson added: "Thieves have switched to rural crime over the last few years as the market in supercars and luxury cars has dried up. Tractors make a very attractive proposition. They are worth thousands of pounds and there is no left or right hand drive which makes them very marketable.

"There has also been a massive surge in theft of portable kit like quad bikes as well as they don't have registration plates and they are very easy to transport. They can be stolen from a farm in Leicestershire and end up in Lithuania. This is a crime wave all over the country.

"A tracking device alone is very helpful and makes a big difference but other more traditional measures like indelible pens and proper and distinctive markings can help. It's a contact battle the farmers and the manufacturers always need to try to be one step ahead of the criminals and it's very tough."

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