AFTER a series of livestock rustling incidents across the South West, Devon and Cornwall Police are advising livestock owners to ensure that there is appropriate security on their farms and to remain vigilant for suspicious activity.

Livestock theft is one of the most costly crimes for the farming sector. Often linked to organised crime, it can have a devastating financial and emotional impact on farmers and their businesses, as well as causing unnecessary suffering for the animals involved.

The illegal transport and slaughter of animals also holds the risk of meat entering the food chain unregulated, leading to health and hygiene risks.

Last year, NFU Mutual data showed that livestock rustling across Devon and Cornwall remained lucrative for criminal gangs, as £2.4 million worth of livestock was stolen across the UK in 2021. Although in recent years the frequency of rustling, along with other rural crimes in the South West has decreased, the Police and NFU Mutual warn that factors such as the soaring cost of food and criminals ‘making up for lost time’ after the pandemic could lead to a spike in cases.

Initial data from NFU Mutual suggests that a spike in cases is emerging, as the first quarter of 2022 saw 40% more claims than the same time last year.

Neil Cole, a sheep farmer on Dartmoor, said: ‘We lose dozens of sheep annually – I would estimate that we have between 20 and 30 stolen each year.

‘Even after all these years, it still has a real emotional impact when our animals are taken – aside from the obvious financial cost.

‘Lots of effort and hard work goes into caring for and rearing them and then when you find that someone has just come along and taken your animals without a thought, it really does affect you. It’s heartbreaking.’

In response to this issue, NFU Mutual has joined forces with the Devon and Cornwall Police to launch a new initiative to protect livestock from rustling. Known as the Devon Livestock Initiative, the project was originally trialled by several Dartmoor farmers in 2021, who were given gate sensors, cameras and signs asking the public to report suspicious movements of livestock outside given times.

Due to its success, the initiative is now soon to be expanded, and new ideas are being explored to keep livestock safe, such as using UV markers and putting microchips in the fleece of sheep to track their whereabouts.

As a part of the initiative, Neil said: ‘As well as the signs, we have begun marking our sheep with a special paint on their horns, which is almost impossible to remove and makes them easier to identify. There will no doubt be a range of other measures we can employ as the initiative expands.’

PC Martin Beck of the Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team, said: ‘The response to the Devon Livestock Initiative has been fantastic and highlights the importance of raising awareness of these issues and encouraging our communities to help farmers fight rural crime.

‘There are many advances in the technology available to farmers and we will be exploring and trialling these options through our partnership with NFU Mutual.’

For more information on crime prevention, rustling and rural crime, visit the Devon and Cornwall Police website at:. https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/your-business.