Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, and Cumbria’s Rural Crime Team visited Penrith Auction Mart ahead of the machinery sale taking place on Friday 17 May to encourage farmers to protect their property from criminals.
Ahead of the sales, Sgt Amanda McKirdy, PSCO Karen Dakin, PC Stefan Blaga and Special Constable Martin Capell of the Rural Crime Team, along with a Rural Crime volunteer, were checking machinery for serial numbers and property marking, including security tagging to ensure that there were no stolen goods put up for sale. On the day of sales, they provided information and advice to farmers and rural businesses on how best to protect their machinery to reduce the risk of theft.
Between 15 March 2024 and 14 March 2025, there were 93 offences where machinery was stolen from rural areas. A 13.1% decrease compared to the 107 offences in the same period in 2023/24. In 56 (60.2%) of the offences committed, the machinery stolen was worth over £1000.
If you have agricultural or plant machinery, simple tips to help reduce the likelihood of it being targeted by criminals, include:
Noting down and taking photos of serial numbers of all your machinery.
Registering equipment with the equipment register (TER) and carry out checks before buying second hand.
Investing in property marking kits such as Smartwater or SelectaDNA and Datatag Cesar marking.
Installing trackers and immobilisers to all valuable equipment.
Considering wider security- motion activated and remotely monitored CCTV or PID detection systems for larger sites.
Commissioner David Allen said: “Cumbria is mostly a rural county so it’s vital that we prioritise rural crime.
“Rural crime is one of the biggest concerns raised with me by the public during consultation therefore it is one of my priorities within my Police, Fire and Crime Plan. I will continue to meet with residents to ensure that they see the difference we are making and raise any of their concerns around rural crime or policing with the Chief Constable.
“Rural crime – especially theft – effects the livelihoods of farmers and other business owners so it’s imperative that we combat it, head on ensuring our residents are safe, and criminals face the consequences of their actions.
“I’m pleased to see the Rural Crime Team out in our communities, liaising with farmers and businesses to help prevent crime where possible – prevention is the key.
“Many thieves are opportunistic so if they feel that you are an easy target, they are more likely to try and steal from you. Let’s make their criminality even harder by ensuring we are as secure as possible.
““As your Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, my role is to be the voice of residents within Cumbria, in respect of the Police and Fire services – I am your voice. If any member of the public has a concern about crime in their area, or around the Constabulary or Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, please raise it with me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or call 01768 217734.”
Sergeant Amanda McKirdy of Cumbria Police’s Rural Crime Team said: “Rural crime can have a devastating impact on communities
“Whilst we are committed to pursuing criminals who mistakenly think they can target rural communities, we are also proactive in encouraging the owners of high-value machinery to undertake crime prevention and target hardening measures such as security tagging and other property identification measures.
“Such measures not only make theft less likely but also assist the police in tracking down stolen vehicles and other items so owners can be reunited with what is rightfully theirs.
“We also work directly with auctions who are supportive of policing efforts to protect their customers by ensure people do not attempt to sell on stolen items in this way.”
If you wish to report to police you can do so online at Report a crime | Cumbria Police. You can also phone on 101. Always phone 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.