Warning after agricultural buildings targeted by thieves

We are warning rural business owners and those with agricultural land and property to be vigilant after a recent spike in quad bike thefts.

A number of locations across the Staffordshire Moorlands and Stafford borough areas have been targeted.

In the Moorlands, a quadbike was stolen on 10 May from an outbuilding in Cloudside, near to Rushton Spencer, while a day later, in Froghall, near Cheadle, offenders attempted to gain access to an outbuilding but were unsuccessful.

In the Stafford area, a quadbike was stolen from the yard at Shugbrough Hall, Milford, on 8 May and Sandon Hall, Sandon, was accessed on 12 May, though nothing was stolen. Offenders also tried to access an outbuilding in Oulton Heath, near Stone, on 8 May, but again, were unsuccessful.

Most of the offences seem to take place overnight and increase in frequency over the weekend.

High-value tools have also been reported stolen.

Officers are investigating and urge anyone who owns or works with quadbikes or agricultural tools to make sure they are kept secure.

Advice you can follow to prevent your quadbike being stolen include:

• Ensure it is kept out of sight
• Keep gates closed and locked
• Restrict entry and exit routes to your land
• Ensure it is locked securely to a floor or wall mount
• Use clamps and locks to secure your bike and ideally fit tracking systems
• Fit a fog alarm system
• Mark your bike with forensic markers
• Always remove the keys when you leave your quadbike.

For more information, visit: Rural crime | Staffordshire Police.

To report crime in your area, call 101 or 999 in an emergency.