Planting the seeds to tackle rural theft

This includes a large proportion of rural land.

Unfortunately, crime is not only the preserve of large towns and rural communities also suffer from theft of farm plant and machinery.

Agricultural and all-terrain vehicles, quad bikes and trailers are the most common items stolen. And the theft of a vehicle used as part of a business will have a significant impact on day-to-day productivity.

We are therefore committed to reducing these thefts and ensuring the way we investigate is consistent.

Through a partnership with NFU Mutual, it was identified that officers were not skilled in identifying stolen plant and machinery.

So officers from Falkirk are attending training events, co-ordinated by the National Agricultural Vehicle Intelligence Service, where they will learn how to identify stolen agricultural vehicles and plant.

If you see any suspicious or unusual movement of plant and machinery, particularly at night, please contact 101 to report it to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.