Farmers warned after wave of GPS thefts

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The warning comes after 13 thefts were reported between September 17th and 19th with thousands of pounds worth of equipment being taken.

These thefts were carried out in the surrounding areas of Boston and Spalding.

GPS/ sat nav equipment Trimble 500 and 750 Nav Systems, Trimble Satellite Receivers, TOPCON and Intelliview Computer Systems were all taken during the raids, with a majority occurring in rural areas.

A/Detective Sergeant Walker said: “This trend is deeply worrying for farmers who are investing in high-tech equipment to make their farms more efficient and reduce pollution.

“We would ask farmers to report any suspicious activity by calling 101, or 999 to report a crime in action.”

Lincolnshire and Holland (Lincs) county advisers Rhonda Thompson and Danny O'Shea said: "These targeted thefts can have a massive impact on farmers, their sense of security and their businesses and we'd urge members to follow the police's advice.

"Don't make it easy for these ruthless, opportunistic criminals - and make sure you secure your property safely overnight.

"And make sure you add the serial numbers of each piece of equipment to your farm's asset register." 

You can follow advice from the NFU here:

*Consider fitting security tethers or brackets to stop units being removed

*Mark your postcode on GPS units – either with a UV pen, engraving tool or forensic marking system

*Store machinery in locked buildings where possible

*Where locking machines away isn’t an option, consider fitting mains or battery-operated alarms to cover around the perimeter of areas where machines are stored

*Record machinery serial numbers and photograph kit to help police identify stolen items and increase the chances of them being recovered