A new bill seeking to deter the theft and resale of quads and ATVs has received Royal Assent following months of lobbying work by farming groups.
The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill will give the Home Secretary new powers to make regulations that centres on ATV thefts, which cost £2.2 million in 2021.
It has received Royal Assent after months of work between the NFU, NFU Mutual, Home Office, National Rural Crime Unit and other industry organisations.
The bill includes measures such as fitting ATVs with immobilisers, forensic markings and ensuring the owners details are registered on a database.
Industry groups have urged the government to pass secondary legislation to widen the scope of the Act to include other agricultural equipment, particularly GPS systems.
NFU vice president, David Exwood said farmers would be 'delighted' that the government and police now have wider powers to tackle increasing incidents of equipment theft on farm.
“Quads are often one of the main things that attract criminals onto farms which often leads to further thefts," he explained.
"But if these new powers can deter criminals in the first instance, I hope they will drive a reduction in further instances of rural crime."
The key provisions the Act will facilitate are immobilisers, which are electronic devices that will only allow the engine to run if the correct key or key fob is present.
It also includes forensic markings, which remain hidden on vehicles but can be identified under UV light, or in some cases contain a unique code that can be read by scanners.
Bob Henderson, NFU Mutual’s engineering lead on rural crime, said there was a 'huge opportunity' within the bill to protect farmers.
“The Equipment Theft Bill receiving Royal Assent comes at a time when we are seeing an increase in theft of vital equipment and machinery.
"We know the role that measures such as forensic marking, registration and immobilisation play in preventing crime."
The Act was a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Greg Smith MP and supported by Lord Blencathra in the Lords.
It has also been supported by the National Rural Crime Unit, led by Superintendent Andy Huddleston.
According to NFU Mutual's most recent figures, rural crime cost farmers over £40 million in 2021.
