Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire Police Alan Hardwick is to be asked to address the serious issue of theft from farms when he comes to Long Sutton next Tuesday.
Mr Hardwick has been invited to a meeting by Long Sutton Agricultural Society at the Conservative Club in Broad Street (2.30pm) – anyone welcome.
Society secretary Ken Knock says members want him to talk about rural crime and thefts from farms.
Ken, who works as office manager at Proctor Bros (Long Sutton) Ltd, says the farm was targeted last year by thieves who got away with a tractor and trailer worth in excess of £50,000. He is aware of neighbouring farms who have also had expensive equipment stolen.
That mirrors statistics in NFU Mutual’s rural crime report, issued last year, which revealed “a worrying increase in thefts of large, expensive tractors”.
Ken said: “There have been thefts from the farm on a number of occasions in the past 12 months. In the spring there was quite a spate of thefts of GPS guidance systems from tractors.
“One of the reasons we have asked for the meeting with the commissioner is to try to emphasise the problem and encourage him to focus a bit more effort on this.”
Ken said that was in addition to problems with hare coursing and land being used illegally for “raves”.