Police are stepping up patrols around rural communities near Wells after an increase in reports of plant, farming equipment and machinery being stolen.

Wells Neighbourhood Policing Team made the issue a formal policing priority on Sunday, 9 August, following recent incidents and concerns raised by local communities. Officers say they will now carry out increased patrols, work with landowners and businesses and run proactive operations aimed at deterring thieves and identifying those responsible.

The warning covers plant, machinery and other equipment in the rural Wells area, where farms, construction sites and businesses can have valuable equipment stored in relatively isolated locations.

Police are urging owners not to rely on a single line of defence, with measures including locked buildings, immobilisers, wheel clamps, trackers, alarms and CCTV all recommended where appropriate.

Keys should be removed from vehicles and machinery whenever they are not being used, while owners are also being encouraged to photograph valuable equipment and keep records of serial numbers.

Marking machinery with a unique identifier can make stolen equipment harder to sell and easier to trace if it is recovered. Police have also suggested forensic marking products for larger and higher-value items.

Gates, fencing and locks should be checked regularly, while anything unusual around farms, rural businesses or construction sites should be reported.

The Wells team said: "Following concerns raised by local communities and recent incidents, tackling rural theft has been set as a neighbourhood policing priority."

It added that officers would be "conducting increased patrols, engaging with landowners and businesses, and carrying out proactive operations aimed at deterring offenders and identifying those responsible for these crimes".

The priority comes as rural crime remains a particular headache for businesses where losing one machine can mean far more than simply replacing a stolen item.

A stolen vehicle, tool or piece of plant can leave work delayed while insurance claims are dealt with and replacement equipment is sourced, making prevention particularly important for farms and smaller rural firms.

Police are asking people to report suspicious vehicles or individuals seen around farms, construction sites and other rural premises rather than assuming somebody else will make the call.

Anyone who has had plant or machinery stolen can report it through Avon and Somerset Police's rural and wildlife crime service or by calling 101.

If a theft is happening at the time, or there is an immediate threat to people or property, the advice remains to call 999.

For anyone with several thousand pounds' worth of kit sitting behind a farm gate, the message is fairly straightforward: make it as awkward as possible for the person who should not be taking it.

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