Shropshire farmers and those in the rural community also played an important role, working with the police officers to help report incidents, gather intelligence and identify offenders.
Seven men were sentenced to a combined total of 25 years and five months at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday (15 September) having pleaded guilty at a previous hearing. All seven were charged with conspiracy to steal from another.
Shropshire farmers breathe sigh of relief
“When farmers, police, local authorities and government work together, we see real progress, from targeted enforcement to better support for victims.”
NFU Shropshire Chair Kate Mayne
The police said the organised crime group were responsible for thefts worth between £5 million and £10 million of agricultural equipment, having targeted rural businesses across Shropshire and the north of Wales.
The men are:
- Andrew Baker, aged 36, of Lovell Close in Shifnal, Shropshire – four years and five months.
- Christopher Downes, aged 35, of Park View in Broseley, Shropshire – seven months.
- Thomas Nutt, aged 27, of Bridgnorth Road in Broseley, Shropshire – four years and five months.
- Wayne Price, aged 32, of Cross Houses in Shrewsbury, Shropshire – nine years.
- Dean Rogerson, aged 34, of Homelands Park in Ketley Bank, Telford – three years and one-month.
- Neil Shevlin, aged 32, of Four Winds in Norton, Shifnal, Shropshire – one-year and two months.
- Ryan Taylor, aged 32, of Hayward Parade in Telford – two years and six months.
Much Wenlock cereal crops and livestock farmer and NFU member Andrew Craig – who had two tractors, a hedge cutter and diesel bowser stolen in August 2023 – welcomed the sentencing.
He said: “All of our stolen kit was recovered within a three-mile radius of the farm and that was thanks in the main due to our farmer WhatsApp group, local vigilance and people knowing the lie of the land.
“We do though have a good relationship with the police and they were on the ball, they have a good team and were on it straightway, gathering evidence.
“The kit was stolen during harvest so it had a real impact on the business and one of our tractors had £8,000 or £9,000 worth of damage that needed repairing so it was really disruptive at a peak time for us.
“Shropshire farmers may now be able to breathe a big sigh of relief and I hope the sentencing acts as a deterrent to others, but rural crime will remain an issue.”
Machinery targeted
From July 2023, following an increase in rural burglaries across Shropshire, detectives from the county’s Serious Acquisitive Crime Team started to investigate the thefts.
Officers soon discovered farms in south Shropshire were the main target, with agricultural equipment such as tractors, gators, quad bikes and 4x4 pick-ups being stolen.
They also uncovered that the men were responsible for a number of thefts in Montgomeryshire that were also linked to an investigation being carried out by Dyfed-Powys Police.
Working together, the forces collated and collected evidence relating to more than 150 offences from August 2022 through to February 2024.
Joined-up approach
Detective Sergeant Ben Docherty, of Shropshire’s Serious Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “We hope this sentence sends a strong message to anyone involved in this type of criminality that we take rural crime incredibly seriously and will investigate and do everything to ensure offenders are put before the courts.
“The sentences were only able to happen thanks to our local communities who continue to report these crimes to us, as well as working with us in helping to identify potential suspects.”
NFU Shropshire Chair Kate Mayne said: “This is a real result, sending a strong message to those targeting rural businesses and the countryside.
“Farmers talking to each other, working with the police, reporting incidents and suspicious people and vehicles remains essential.
“The NFU has championed for stronger protections for farmers, from the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act and hare coursing reforms to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, which is going through the Lords now – but the threat remains very real.
“When farmers, police, local authorities and government work together, we see real progress, from targeted enforcement to better support for victims.
“This joined-up approach must be scaled nationally to tackle rural crime head-on.”
Collaboration and partnerships
The police have also called for continued collaboration and for communities to take part in Rural Watch and the force’s free community messaging service Neighbourhood Matters.
Chief Inspector Matthew Price, from Dyfed-Powys Police, said it was a great piece of joint investigative work carried out by two forces into “an organised crime group who thought they could target rural areas”.
He said: “This investigation highlights the importance of neighbouring police forces working together to tackle cross-border crime, and that collaboration and partnerships result in the best outcomes for our communities.”
