In the latest attempt on Glenn Buckingham's remote rural farm, would-be thieves cut through 11 bolts to a secure store before leaving empty-handed.

Three years ago, thieves struck at harvest time - just before his combine was ready to go out - and stole its valuable Global Positioning System (GPS). 

READ MORE: UK-wide crackdown targets thieves stealing GPS technology

He's one of hundreds of farmers UK-wide to be targeted by thieves - as a national study by farm insurers NFU Mutual suggests a growing rural crimewave with thieves targeting farm tech.

The arable farmer, based at Framsden, near Debenham, grows wheat, barley and peas as part of his 540ha operation.

In the successful raid three years ago, the combine was parked up, cleaned, serviced and ready to go when the thieves made off with the GPS dome and display equipment. 

READ MORE: Four agricultural GPS system thefts in one month

But during the more recent incident on May 17 - when would-be thieves appeared to be targeting his GPS kit once again - they were thwarted.

The farm’s CCTV showed two men walking up the drive at 1.39am - activating the farmyard security lights - before heading to two nearby farms to try there.

Glenn thinks they may have walked 400m across a field to avoid using the main entry.

They tried unsuccessfully to smash the lights - but they did manage to break through 11 bolts on the farm's secure store door. It was "so galling" to watch, he said.

READ MORE: Thieves target GPS equipment in £25,000 raid

However, once inside, they couldn’t find what they wanted to steal and left empty-handed. The steel door was damaged beyond repair and had to be replaced at a cost of £700.

"It’s very clear to me that organised gangs are using Google images to identify farms with tractors and combines fitted with GPS kit," said Glenn.

"They are probably also using the site’s directions function to find the best route, and also a suitable place to leave their vehicles before walking across fields to evade detection.

"I found that Google maps had images with our GPS-enabled tractors parked up in the yard.

"I’ve had the images obscured to prevent them being used by would-be thieves in the future – but I’m now concerned that the regularly-updated images on Google Earth could also help thieves scope out farms for target equipment and identify routes to where it is stored.

READ MORE: Theft investigation launched after two GPS units stolen

"It was clear that the thieves were looking for specific equipment because they didn’t touch our Claas tractor or its GPS."

Glenn - who is deputy chairman of the Suffolk branch of the National Farmers' Union - has raised the issue with police and with Suffolk's Police Crime Commissioner.

"I’m also raising awareness among farmers through WhatsApp groups. We’ve all got to work together to fight this. It’s a highly organised crime, operating in a similar way to ‘County Lines’ drug running.

"Farmers need to check the images of their farm on Google Earth and request any that show tractors or other kit with GPS are removed. However, that doesn’t solve the problem entirely as there are also many Google Maps images online which include tractors working in fields.

"These raids are causing huge disruption to farming and are causing widespread anxiety. It sends a chill to your heart to see CCTV images of people boldly entering your yard at night and smashing down steel doors.

READ MORE: Security call for farmers in North Yorkshire as GPS thefts gear up

“Farms are by their nature remote and it’s a huge worry to know that determined criminals are regularly targeting farms which are also the homes of families with young children."

NFU Mutual's 2023 Rural Crime Report shows the cost of rural theft in Suffolk fell 3.9% to an estimated £1.1m in 2022 compared to the previous year - and by 10% to an estimated £1.5m in Essex during the same period.

However, the farm insurers' claims suggest rural crime across the UK is on the rise - up 22.1% to an estimated £49.5m. In the East of England it shot up by 28.5% to £6.6m from 2021 to 2022.

The rise has been fuelled by soaring worldwide increases in the value of farm machinery and equipment - with the cost of UK agricultural vehicle theft alone up by 29% to £11.7m in 2022.

READ MORE: Tractor GPS theft on rise in Devon and Cornwall say police

The NFU Mutual survey shows many farmers - like Glenn - are repeat victims.

GPS theft has sharply escalated in the first four months of 2023, it warned, with the cost of GPS theft doubling to more than £500,000 compared to the same period last year.

Other items targeted include quad bikes, all-terrain vehicles - and livestock.

David Blackwell, Senior Agent at NFU Mutual Bury St Edmunds, said while Suffolk's fall in the cost of rural crime last year was welcome, there was no room for complacency.

“Rural theft is changing. It is not only opportunist thieves travelling a few miles, we are now seeing internationally organised criminal activity. These gangs target high-value farm machinery and GPS kits because they can be sold all over the world.

“Many items are stolen ‘to order’ by thieves using online technology to identify where farm machinery is stored and scope out the best way to steal it."