With a rising tide of agri-crime, a new service in North Wales to help deter opportunist thieves has gained the backing of police and insurers.
Latest figures from NFU Mutual reveal that thefts from Welsh farms amounted to £1.7m in 2010, and there are indications that trend is rising.
Datatag, which uses state of the art identification technologies to permanently mark and protect property and vehicles, is now being rolled out to farmers across North Wales by MWS (Ruthin) Ltd.
PCSO Ben Madeley of North Wales Police said: “Farm machinery theft is on the increase, with quad bikes, chainsaws and tools being particularly vulnerable. Opportunist thieves will take whatever they can and we are advising people to make sure that everything is marked up and locked away.”
The Datatag system includes many unique identification marks or tags permanently hidden within the machine. The aim is to leave the thief with the difficult task of removing every single identification mark (which is virtually impossible) without damaging the stolen property. The police, on the other hand, have to find just one or two marks to identify the item and cross match it to a 24 hour accessible database to trace the rightful owner.
Reports show that Datatag can make machinery four times less likely to be stolen and six times more likely to be recovered.
MWS installed their first Datatag system for dairy farmer John Bletcher of Ewloe. Mr Bletcher explained his reason for choosing Datatag. “There is no doubt that rural crime is increasing,” he said. “With many manufacturers now installing Datatag in new equipment, I worry that older machinery will be targeted by thieves as easy pickings, which is why I have chosen this system.”
Insurer NFU Mutual has given its backing to the Datatag system and is offering insurance discounts for people who protect their property this way. Wyn Roberts of NFU Mutual said: “Unless they are marked and identifiable, many farm and household items can be difficult to trace but very simple for criminals to sell. It’s all about taking small steps to make life much harder for rural criminals.”
NFU Mutual’s own crime survey found that, in Wales, quad bikes like Mr Bletcher’s, are a particular target. Between 2008 and 2010 the insurer saw an increase of 64 per cent in the cost of rural thefts.
Elfed Morris of MWS said: “Having worked in agriculture I know only too well how dependant farmers are on their tools and machinery. While there is a financial loss, which may be covered by insurance, there is also a significant loss of time and productivity and that can be much harder to recover from.
“Thanks to NFU Mutual and other insurance companies’ backing, farmers are able to recoup the one-off investment made in Datatag over a very short period of time in reduced insurance premiums.”
To find out more about the MWS Datatag service call 0800 195 9855 or go to: http://www.mwsgroup.co.uk/latestnews.htm
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