An increase in rural crime has seen the lefts of Land Rover Defenders rocket by over a third in the past 12 months.

According to NFU Mutual’s Rural Crime Report, the cost of rural crime rose by over 9 per cent to £54 million in 2019, the highest in eight years, reports the BBC.

NFU Mutual, an insurance company born from agricultural beginnings, predicted that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a further increase in offences, including the theft of livestock and farm vehicles and equipment.

The coveted old-style Land Rover Defender has seen a 34 per cent rise in thefts. It is reported that the crimes are being organised by gangs, who are taking advantage of rising overseas demand for expensive farming equipment. 

The cost to the UK of stolen Defenders was around £1.6m in 2018, which rose to £2.1m last year, a 34 per cent increase. Good quality early series models, and parts from old-series Defenders, are increasingly valuable on the Black Market.

The Rural Crime Report mentions that other automotive crimes included the thefts of tractors, quad bikes and other agricultural vehicles, with a collective cost of £9.3 million in 2020, representing a 30 per cent rise from last year.

The report suggests that rural households take action to protect their possessions, such as the use of markings to show a vehicle belongs to the Construction and Agricultural Equipment Security and Registration Scheme (Cesar), and the fitting of tracking devices.

There have been previous spikes in the theft of Land Rover Defenders. It was reported back in 2017 that between 2012 and 2017, 530 Defenders had been stolen in West Yorkshire alone, following the discontinuation of the model in 2016.

Old Defenders vary in value depending on their age and mileage. However, a 2010 Defender 110 with more than 100,000 miles on the clock can still sell for nearly £20,000.

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