The cost of rural crime in Dorset rose 18 per cent to roughly £410,000 last year, according to new figures from rural insurer NFU Mutual.

Its report reveals that rural crime cost the UK as a whole an estimated £52.8 million in 2023, up from £50.6 million the previous year.

In a sign of increasing organisation and sophistication among criminals,  claims to NFU Mutual resulting from stolen GPS units soared 137 per cent to £4.2 million.

Thieves have been found to frequently target several farms in one night, moving between locations to rob these highly valuable and portable kits and revisiting weeks later to steal any replacements.

The high-tech equipment, typically priced at more than £10,000 a unit, is used to guide tractors and combine harvesters to improve accuracy.

Without it, farmers and agricultural contractors can face severe delays and disruption to harvesting and cultivating work.

Quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were also top targets for rural thieves, with thefts up 9 per cent to £3.2 million in claim costs reported to NFU Mutual last year.

However, the total claims cost for agricultural vehicle thefts fell 9 per cent to £10.7 million.

Livestock theft remained high, with an alarming spate of incidents where farm animals were butchered in fields.

Farm animals worth an estimated £2.4 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks across the UK in 2023, up nearly 30 per cent compared to the previous year.

Sharp rises in inflation made farming equipment an attractive target for organised gangs, increasing the financial impact of each theft on the rural community.

However, a coordinated response against crime saw a reduction in the number of agricultural vehicle claims.

NFU Mutual has provided more than £1 million since 2021 to support initiatives tackling rural crime, and in 2023, it became a major funder of the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU).

Formally established last April, the unit is staffed by police officers with experience in detecting and preventing rural crime, with investigative powers to track and intercept stolen machinery and equipment.

Matt Uren, senior agent at NFU Mutual Dorchester, said: “All the indications suggest rural crime is becoming more organised, sophisticated and determined in its nature, which is incredibly alarming for people who live and work in the countryside.

“While the overall cost of agricultural vehicle theft fell thanks to coordinated efforts, it’s concerning to see GPS thefts rocket up and quad bikes being increasingly targeted, with thieves turning to technology to scope out locations.

“We know the impact of rural crime goes well beyond the practicalities of farming.

“That’s why it’s so important for insurers, farmers, manufacturers, police and politicians to continue to work together to provide a united response to the challenge presented by both organised criminals and opportunistic thieves.”