Midcheshire Independent Issue 178

FREE YOUR LOCAL GOOD NEWS-PAPER FollowusonFacebook: yourlocalinde ISSUE172 • NOVEMBER2024 Independent YOUR LOCAL FREE MID CHESHIRE COVERINGNANTWICH,NORTHWICH,WINSFORD,MIDDLEWICH,KNUTSFORDANDSURROUNDINGAREAS SERIOUSorganisedcrime ishavinga “devastating” impact on Cheshire’s ruralcommunities. And thecounty’sPoliceand CrimeCommissioner (PCC) DanPrice fearsanalarming rise in thefts of GPS units from farm vehicles could be linked to thewar inUkraine. An open letter from him, urging equipmentmanufac- turers and the government to take action to reduce the number of thefts of the expensiveandessentialGPS devices,has been backed by five Cheshire MPs, includ- ingMid-Cheshire’sAndrew Cooper . Mr Price and the MPs, togetherwith theNational FarmersUnion (NFU), the NationalRuralCrimeUnit (NRCU) and local farmers, came together to discuss and highlight the issue of serious organised crime and its impact on the agricul- tural community. They signed the letter that calls on agricultural equipment manufacturers to retrospectively add foren- sicmarking onGPSdevices, quadbikes, tractorsandexca- vators to deter theft and aid with tracking stolengoods. The letteralsoasks thegov- ernment toensure legislation is “fit forpurpose”byrevising theEquipment Theft (Pre- vention)Act 2023 to include modern immobilisation and forensicmarkingonallof the equipmentmentioned. Themeetingheard of the effects of serious organised crime on farming and the wider repercussions on the agricultural industry. In a statement following the signing of the letter,Mr Pricesaid: “Farmequipment theftby organised crimehas Farms in the frontline Organised crime target GPS units Target:Gangsareaftersophisticatedequipment (Photocredit:NFU) Actioncall:PoliceandCrime CommissionerDanPrice soaredsinceRussia’s invasion ofUkraine. “Data fromNFUMutual showed that in 2023 insur- ance claims for GPS theft roseby137percent toanesti- mated £4.2million and there isrealconcern that this tech- nology canbe reappropriated tobeused inweapons. “Organised crime gangs frequentlyvisitseveral farms in onenight, often returning to the same farm to steal replaceddevices.” Whilepolicehavenodirect evidence of the units being usedby theRussianmilitary, MrPrice told theBBC therise in thefts since thewarwasa “deeplyworryingcoincidence”. GPS allows farmers to create farmmapswith pre- cise acreage for field areas, road locations and distances betweenpoints of interest. It enables them to accurately navigate to specific locations in the field,yearafteryear, to collectsoilsamplesormonitor crop conditions. The theft ofGPS devices, valued atup to £20,000, can cause financialhardship for farmers,not only due to the cost of theunit, but also the knock-on financial implica- tions that beingwithout the device can cause. MrPrice, said: “Cheshire Constabularyhasbeenwork- inghard to tackleruralcrime with some fantastic results. But I know there is always more tobedone. “I am confident, that by carrying on this goodwork and starting the ball rolling tomake changehappenhere inCheshire,we can reduce crime, ensure our ongoing food supply and protect the livelihoodsofruralcommuni- ties,notonly locallybutacross theUK.” NFUCheshirecountypres- ident StuartYarwood said: “Farmers across Cheshire are feeling the devastat- ing impact ofGPS thefts on our livelihoods.The theft of essential equipmentnot only disrupts theworkwe do, but also poses significant finan- cial challenges. “It’s crucial thatmeasures suchas theEquipmentTheft (Prevention)Billareextended to provide greater protection for farmers, sowe canbetter safeguard our farm busi- nesses and enable farmers to continue our vital role in foodproduction.” CongletonMPSarahRus- selladded: “Theperceptionof ourCheshire rolling fieldsas idyllicandcrime-free, issadly outdated. Crime in rural areas skyrocketed bynearly a third from2011-2024.” Alongside local farmers, the NFU,NRCUandDanPrice, theMPswho signed the let- terwere;AndrewCooperMP, ConnorNaismithMP,Sarah Russell MP, Tim Roca MP andAphraBrandrethMP. The Home Office said in a statement itwas introduc- ing “tougher measures” to tackle rural crime including strengthenedneighbourhood policing and “stronger laws” to prevent farm theft and fly tippers. Itsaid: “New lawswillalso aim to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equip- ment, particularly foruse in anagricultural setting.” CHRISTMAS WINE AND DINE SPECIAL SEE PAGES 12-14