Broker responsibility to warn clients of rising plant theft issue

Based in Epworth, Lincolnshire, Harold Woolgar, of Harold Woolgar Insurance, said he was now receiving calls from farmers reporting the theft of valuable equipment on a weekly basis.

"Thefts have reached almost epidemic proportions. In the past 12 months we must have had more than £1m worth of claims come through," he added.

FarmWeb, a UK network of independent agricultural insurance brokers, said members across the country had experienced a noticeable increase in farm vehicle and equipment