'Country people under siege' — cost of rural crime in South Yorkshire revealed

Insurer NFU Mutual looked at the impact on rural communities across the UK of incidents like farm vehicle thefts and livestock rustling.

Richard Houldsworth, local senior agent at the firm, said: “From constant reports of thefts and suspicious vehicles touring the countryside and rural criminals regularly staking out farms, country people feel they are under siege.

“Repeat attacks are causing widespread anxiety and exacerbating the problems of rural isolation among farmers who often work alone all day.”

But he added: “The good news is that security technology is developing fast and we're already clearly seeing that thieves avoid tractors fitted with good security kit and sheep marked with microdots.”