Bedfordshire farmer reveals the new technique rural thieves are using to detect GPS trackers

A farmer whose business was hit by thieves 10 times in a year has revealed the new ways in which gangs are attempting to outfox security measures such as GPS trackers.

Freya Morgan was forced to invest thousands in upgrading security at her north Bedfordshire farm after being repeatedly targeted in 2020, when her land was subject to fly-tipping, hare-coursing and theft.

She spent around £12,000 at the time on measures including about 50 lockable gates, installing a £4,000 electric entrance gate and digging ditches around the farm to limit vehicle access.

But she said gangs who targeted rural properties were adopting new methods to get around the trackers that are often fitted to high-value electronics and equipment - often by moving the items to see if their disappearance is noted.

"Some of the electronic stuff that gets stolen will not actually get stolen."

"They'll put it in a hedge, wrap it in foil or a black bin bag and then come back a few days later to see whether we've noticed it's gone or whether it's got a tracking system on it, and then we won't see it again."

She, alongside other farmers in the county, even resorted to hiring private security firms to carry out night-time patrols. This has not solved the problem - as she has been targeted five times in the past year.

She said there had been recent improvements in rural crime across Bedfordshire after the NFU began working with Bedfordshire Police.

She said police communication with the rural community had improved, the online crime reporting system had become more effective and police officers and call handlers had a better understanding of rural crime and its impact than in the past.